Emotional Peace
by Kenya Grim
Summary: There is no emotion, there is peace. Or so the Jedi Code states. Is it possible to have both emotion and peace? Kia is about to find out the hard way. Main character is a Jedi Knight, but story follows the trooper storyline slightly. I write as the game progresses, so it's going to be a long one and lots of your favorite characters will be there. rgan, lcom
1. Chapter 1

I've been writing this one for a good while now and I finally feel comfortable posting it. As stated in the summary, this story is shaping up to be very long. I'm on chapter 66 and I'm not done yet. The story follows the gaming timeline, but I've taken some creative license to make things fit. I like the Jace Malcom character, so he's a main in my tale.

Thanks for reading my ramblings and let me know what you think. :)

* * *

General Jace Malcom stood in the command center of the main Republic base on Alderaan, watching as the tech at the computer console monitored the descending ship. Malcom could tell the young specialist was nervous with him standing over him as he worked, but the general did nothing to easy the man's anxiety.

Malcom was built like a brawler, standing six foot five, with a muscular build, dark brown almost black hair, intense brown eyes and tanned skin only accomplished by spending large amounts of time in the field. Add in the multitude of scars along the right side of his face, souvenirs from his fight with Darth Malgus years before, and his constant soldier's stance, and you couldn't help but be intimidated by the general's presence.

The technician at the console was new, he'd get used to his CO's imposing presence eventually.

"The ship just identified itself with the correct codes, Sir." the tech said, his voice not indicating any nervous tones. The young man got points for at least sounding composed.

"Direct them to land on pad 3 and have Captain Lorn meet our guests. I'll be waiting for them in the war room."

The tech nodded. "Yes, Sir."

With an inaudible sigh, Malcom left the command center and headed to the war room three doors down. The general wasn't happy about the situation on Alderaan. Just over two decades ago, he had been the leader of Havoc Squad and had nearly died pushing the Empire off the planet. He had the scars to prove it. Now, it was all happening again, even though Darth Malgus had finally been confirmed dead.

The Empire and the Republic had been battling for control of Alderaan for years now, neither side truly making any meaningful headway. Diplomats and Jedi had been called to help with peace talks between the various noble families, but Malcom wasn't putting much stock in the efforts. As long as any of the noble houses were being supported by the Empire, Alderaan would continue to be a warzone. It sometimes felt like any progress they had made decades ago had been lost.

Malcom sat at the large holo table in the center of the room, examining the map currently being displayed as he waited. Recent intel had confirmed the identity of the Sith lord who was running the Empire's war efforts. They had also identified the Sith's base of operations, which had been well hidden. The intel had cost the SIS greatly, three of their field agents had been killed discovering the information, but hopefully, their deaths would not be in vain.

Once the involvement of the Sith had been confirmed, the Jedi council was informed and they were sending a Jedi master to assist. Malcom expected his troops could probably take care of the Sith themselves, if they managed to root him out of the hole he was hiding in, but the chancellor and the supreme commander didn't want to take any chances. Malcom couldn't really blame them. The war on Alderaan had been going on for far too long. Now was not the time to take unnecessary risks. Everyone was ready for this planetary war to end.

It wasn't that Malcom didn't like the Jedi. His own life, and that of his men, had been saved on multiple occasions by the Jedi, and he was all about giving credit where credit was due, but their philosophy was hard to swallow sometimes. Not to mention, the last time he was aided by a Jedi on Alderaan, it resulted in a six month affair which ended poorly.

Malcom and Jedi Knight Satele Shan had worked together well, both professionally and personally. That was until their relationship became more intimate and her guilt about breaking of the Jedi code to be with Malcom, forced her to end the relationship. He understood her need to focus on being a Jedi, but it didn't mean her departure didn't hurt. She had been the only woman he had ever loved and he hadn't had any kind of significant relationship since.

Malcom pushed the thoughts aside, berating himself for bringing up the memories, as he was joined by his XO, Captain Evert Lorn. He was followed by Jedi Master Gnost-Dural. The Kel Dor was dressed like most Jedi, with a brown robe over a light tunic. His face was covered with the customary breathing apparatus and eye protection worn by his species when on planets with harmful atmospheres to their physiology, which was almost all of the planets in the Republic. You could just make out this long tusks below the mask.

Malcom stood. "Welcome to Alderaan Master Jedi."

The Jedi bowed his head slightly. "The council was happy to send me along to assist. We have been searching for Lord Octon since he slaughtered several of our padawans on Tatooine. I think we're all eager to bring him to justice, and bring peace to Alderaan, as well."

Malcom thought peace on Alderaan was being overly optimistic, but he kept the comment to him. He'd been fighting this war for too long to be optimistic. "He's taken countless lives since his arrival here. Octon has a lot to answer for." Malcom agreed.

Just then, a second Jedi came into the room. This one was a young woman, probably still a teenager. She was dressed similarly to Gnost-Dural, but she was human, with a small stature, long red hair held back in a braid, and bright green eyes.

"The ship is secure, Master." She said to Gnost-Dural. "As far as I can tell, there are no other Force users in the area."

"Excellent, Kia." Gnost-Dural replied. "This is my padawan, Kia Wryn." Gnost-Dural introduced.

The padawan nodded respectfully to Malcom. "It's a honor to meet you, General."

Malcom nodded in reply. "Come in and make yourselves comfortable. He have a lot to discuss." Malcom said, motioning to the other chairs around his holotable. "Captain, make sure squads two and three are ready to depart as soon as I get the Jedi up to speed."

"Yes, Sir." Lorn replied, saluting Malcom before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Malcom had been surprised when the Jedi master's padawan had arrived. He probably shouldn't have been, since it wasn't uncommon for Jedi masters to travel with their apprentices, but it seemed a dangerous situation to bring a novice into, not that he minded. Jedi were handy to have around, even if they were only learners. He'd take the help.

"As you've been told, Lord Octon has been confirmed as the Sith in charge of the Imperial forces here on Alderaan. He's only been here a few months and we've already felt the impact he's making on the war. We've suffered heavy losses of both soldiers and equipment. It's almost like he can predict our movements. For a few weeks, we thought we might have a mole in our camp, but the SIS has failed to find any evidence of a traitor." Malcom explained, taking a seat across from the Jedi.

"From what the order has gathered on this particular Sith, we know he's talented at seeing the future. He's not reading minds or getting intel from your people. I suspect he's simply using the Force to make very good educated guesses. We're hoping the arrival of Jedi opposition will throw him off enough to allow his defeat."

"We can only hope you're presence has an impact. The morale of the base has been fairly low. The men could use a victory." Malcom admitted reluctantly. He hated to admit to the shortcomings of his men, but he saw no point in leaving the information out or lying to the Jedi. They were here to help and their kind were known for being far more perceptive than most.

"Fortunately, Octon is most likely the only Force user we'll come across, at least on his base. Our intel suggests he's not much for working with other Sith. Not that Sith work well as a group anyway, but Octon has never even taken an apprentice. He relies on soldiers more than most Sith, which means if we can get him off his game, your soldiers should be more evenly matched when fighting his men."

"The plan is for you to lead a small team to the Imperial stronghold. It's about a two day trek from here, but there is heavy cover and multiple caves to cover your advance. We've scouted the area heavily and have mapped out an optimal route." Malcom explained, pointing out the route on the holo map in front of them. "Once there, a surgical strike will be used to take out Octon."

"That sounds about right. I can shield my presence from Octon well enough. I doubt he'll worry much about a small force closing in on his position, even if he can sense it coming. Men like him are often egotistical. We can use that to our advantage."

Gnost-Dural paused for a moment and Malcom allowed the silence, sensing the Jedi had more to say.

"You said the morale of your men is low. Does this include the team you'll be sending with me?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, yes, but I believe being lead by a Jedi will boost their spirits." Malcom assured the Jedi. All other opinions aside, Jedi had a way of boosting soldiers when fighting alongside them.

Malcom hated to admit it, but some of the losses his forces experienced had probably been due to some of the soldiers giving up. They were all good men, they had to be good to be stationed under Malcom, but war had a way of breaking down even the strongest man's resolve and this war had lasted longer than most.

Gnost-Dural nodded, then turned to his padawan, who had been sitting quietly next to her master.

"Kia, go talk to the soldiers. See what you can do."

"Of course, Master." Kia replied, getting up without question, as if she knew the request would happen long before it did.

Once she was out of the room, Malcom gave the Jedi a confused look.

"My padawan is unique. She's always had a natural charisma with non-Force users, particularly soldiers. Most of our Order are quite aware our way of speaking tends to put off those not sensitive to the Force. Kia, though a devout follower of the Jedi code, has a way of speaking and acting around people which should help your men. It was one of the main reasons I agreed for her to accompany me on this mission. Her empathy and charisma are remarkable."

"Will she be accompanying you to the Sith's base?" Malcom asked.

"No. I plan for her to stay here and help keep an eye on the base. She's still learning her lightsaber techniques. I should be more than a match for Octon and I will not put Kia into a position she's not ready for. She's close, but she's not quite a Jedi knight yet."

"Very well. If there are no questions, I'll show you to the men you'll be leading. If this is going to work, you'll need to leave tonight. Our intel is getting stale as we speak and we can't risk wasting this opportunity."

Gnost-Dural nodded agreement. They both stood and headed back the way they came. If he were being honest, Malcom wanted to see what this padawan could do for himself. If she was as inspirational as her master implied, it might be nice to have her around.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 up. How you enjoy and thanks for reading. Happy new year!

* * *

Kia hadn't been told where Gnost-Dural's team would be on the base, but she knew where she was going. Saying the soldier's morale was low was an understatement. Kia could sense their fear, anger and anxiety as soon as she entered the base. She was following the feelings now, though it was giving her a slight headache and threatened to discourage her.

Kia was unique when it came to her empathy. Most Jedi had a certain amount of empathic ability, but Kia's worked differently than most. She had to work extremely hard to get a reading from a fellow Force user, as if their sensitivity to the Force was blocking her own. Her connection to non-Force users, however, was a different story altogether. The padawan could sense every emotion coming from a non-Force user with exact detail. The talent had never been observed among the Jedi before and the council was cautiously eager to see how it would develop.

Rather than consider the oversensitivity a curse, since it causes headaches and lapses in concentration, Kia did all she could to find a use for her talent. She began to observe the interactions between people. She noticed how non-Force users got irritated when Jedi spoke using cryptic or philosophical statements related to the Force. As a result, she began to learn to address non-Force users in a more casual way, using her empathy and charisma to guide her in the right direction during conversations.

At first, the council was unsure of Kia's rougher, more honest language and tones, but her methods showed positive results each and every time and, more importantly, she showed no signs of the darkside from their use, regardless of her technique requiring a certain emotional component and a manipulation through the Force which was along a more gray area, rather than true lightside. With her natural charisma and her empathic sense, she could convince anyone to see things her way. At least on a one on one basis. Being in a large group, with so many emotions to sift through, was something she was still working on controlling.

This would be Kia's first time addressing a group. She knew how to talk with a single soldier, but she had yet to try her talents on a wider group, with so many possible negative emotions.

With a steadying breath, Kia entered the room where the most negative feelings were located. In the room were a dozen soldiers, all preparing for a mission. Her presence was acknowledged immediately, as one of the soldiers walked up to her. The Young man's emotions were scattered, but she could feel some disappointment.

"Don't tell me you're the Jedi sent to lead us. You can't be more than what, sixteen?" The soldier said. His words weren't mean, necessarily, but they were also far from friendly.

Kia thought it a touch hypocritical of the soldier to mention her age, since he looked like he was barely in his twenties, but she opted to keep the statement to herself. Rising to the comment wouldn't help things.

"I'm nineteen and no, I'm not the Jedi sent to lead you. That would be Gnost-Dural, my master. I'm merely a padawan, here to learn and assist where I can, while he leads you on your mission."

The soldier's contempt deflated a bit, but was replaced by anxiety.

"It probably would have been better if your master left you behind this time. We're all going to die anyway. There's no point in you dying with us." The soldier's words held more defeat than Kia thought possible. If these soldiers went on this mission with Gnost-Dural feeling like this, they would certainly be killed like they are predicting and would take her master with them. That was unacceptable.

"You think this Sith is going to kill you? Do you know what I'd say to that?" Kia took a step closer to the soldier, her tone of voice hard. "I'd say, pull your head out of your ass and don't let him! You kill him first!"

Her harsh words and her sharp, hard tone seemed to shock all of the soldiers in the room, being very un-Jedi like, but she didn't let their shock stop her. She used the sudden attention and allowed the Force to guide her and embrace everyone in the room. Their emotions were almost tangible to her.

"Dammit, you're Republic soldiers. You're the best trained soldiers in the galaxy and you're going to let one Sith lord intimidate you? You're not fighting a Sith lord, you're fighting men. Soldiers, just like yourselves, but you have an advantage over those Imperial soldiers. Do you know what that advantage is? It's hope and respect and honor! Each and every one of you signed up to be a soldier so you could defend the Republic. So you can defend all the men, women and children who can't defend themselves, who would otherwise become slaves to the Empire. You chose to be the best. You chose this fight!"

Kia was now pacing in front of the soldiers, hands behind her back. She now had their complete, undivided attention. Partially thru her own charisma and partially by using a kind of Force persuasion. She wasn't trying to manipulate their thoughts, just motivate them. It was a very fine line and she was learning to walk it very well.

"Those Imperial soldiers you're fighting most likely weren't given a choice. They're fighting because they're being told they must. You have conviction and a cause you believe in. Go out there and fight like it. Show every Imperial watching why you're the best in the galaxy."

All the soldiers cheered and Kia could feel their pride and determination skyrocket. She could also feel the satisfaction of both the general and her master, who had entered right when she started to talk, but had stayed in the background, so as not to interrupt. It was moments like this which made Kia proud to be a Jedi.

* * *

General Malcom stood quietly and listened to the young padawan's speech. He had to admit, the girl was good. She had said all the right things, sounding more like a high ranking military officer than a Jedi. Not once did she bring up fate or belief in the Force, resulting in a group of soldiers who were ready to fight for the Republic. The fact the pep talk was coming from a Jedi seemed to make all the difference.

The cheering of the men stopped abruptly as Malcom allowed himself and Master Gnost-Dural to enter the room fully. All the soldiers snapped to attention.

"You heard the Jedi, men. Ready yourselves to show the Empire what you're made of. You leave in one hour. Master Gnost-Dural will lead you to victory."

The soldiers again cheered, then scurried away to prepare to leave on the mission.

"Well done." Malcom said to Kia.

Kia smiled up at the general, blushing slightly. "I'm happy my talent can be of use."

"While I'm gone, I'd like you to continue speaking with the soldiers on base. A victory will help morale, but a little extra encouragement can't hurt." Gnost-Dural said. Even though Kia couldn't see the pride in her master's eyes, due to his protective mask, she could still feel it through the Force, though it took a little more effort than with the general.

"I'll do my best, Master." Kia replied.

"And follow General Malcom's orders." The Jedi added.

Kia nodded. That one was a given, but Gnost-Dural was always thorough and clear when addressing his padawan.

An hour later, Master Gnost-Dural and the dozen soldiers started their mission to save Alderaan.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

woo Hoo! Three days in a row for updates. Hope you like.

* * *

Jace Malcom was a born leader. Unfortunately, when in command of a base, leading meant sending good men and women out to fight and die, while giving orders from a command center. As a career soldier, he was used to long periods of waiting, but being left out of the true combat was something he was still getting used to. It was an unfortunate consequence of military promotion.

The next morning, Malcom was eager for an update on the operation to confront Octon, but he knew the team had only been gone a half a day and it would be at least another full day before he got anything other than mission en route updates.

After grabbing some breakfast and checking on the status of the other half dozen or so operations in progress, he headed towards the hangar, where he found Padawan Kia leaning casually against the wall. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were closed. She had an almost pained expression on her face.

"Everything alright?" He asked, doing his best not to startle her, though in his experience, it was extremely hard to catch a Jedi off guard.

Kia didn't answer immediately. She took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, then let it out slowly. She then opened her eyes and stepped away from the wall. She turned to Malcom and gave him a forced smile.

"I'm fine. This base is just very heavy with emotion. I'm usually not around this many non-Force users and it takes some practice to block them out enough not to be distracted. I'm guessing Master Gnost-Dural told you about my...uniqueness."

"He told me you are sensitive to the emotions of non-Force users, but he didn't go into details."

Kia nodded. "Saying I'm sensitive to the emotions of non-Force users is a bit of an oversimplification. I'm extremely empathic to non-Force users. I can feel every emotion, from every single one of them on this base, all at once. It's almost like an unstoppable tidal wave of emotion. This is by far the largest group of non-Force users I've ever been around. This situation was one of the reasons I came along with my master, to be challenged. If I can't get a handle on my abilities, I'll never be able to go to planets like Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa. The idea of being surrounded by millions of people, in high concentration, scares me a little. I'm getting better at focusing my mind and blocking it all out, but I still get headaches and it takes a great deal of effort not to be distracted."

Malcom nodded his head. "That's amazing, but I have one question for you. I've worked with Jedi several times over my career. Jedi are supposed to stay neutral when it comes to emotions. How is it the council agreed to train you, since being this sensitive to others has to make you feel something? Your talent and their philosophy clash a little bit."

Kia chuckled. "I guess that's another reason I'm unique. When Gnost-Dural discovered me when I was 12, I had spent most of my life living away from people. My family intentionally kept their distance from others to help me cope, not knowing that my gift was Force related. Gnost-Dural had a mission which took him close enough to our home that he sensed me. He convinced me that the Jedi could help me deal with my abilities and help me learn to not only control them, but use them. I think he was concerned I'd fall to the darkside if left untrained. It's not like this is something I can just turn off."

Kia took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds. The general couldn't tell if she was concentrating or just in pain, but he waited patiently for her to continued. She reopened her eyes and looked at him.

"Anyway, when I got to Tython, I was evaluated by the council. I told them about my empathy and how I didn't think I could follow the whole 'there is no emotion' thing. Not just because of my unusually strong empathy, but also because I have a twin sister I'm very close to. I don't care how much training I get, I'll always have strong feelings towards her. They decided to train me regardless of all of it and I'm thankful. I can see a potential future where I'm not cursed to be overwhelmed by the emotions of others any time I decide to leave the house."

Malcom was amazed. He had always thought the Jedi were too rigid to ever train a student who admitted they couldn't follow their code to the letter. He placed his hands behind his back and started to stroll out towards the door of the open hangar bay. "Walk with me." he said.

Kia nodded, following behind him.

"Is your twin sister Force sensitive also?" Malcom asked.

"No. She's as Force null as a person can get. I grew up feeling her emotions as strongly as my own. According to the masters on Tython, it's odd for twins to be so different when it comes to the Force, but then, nothing in my life seems to be normal. Mia doesn't care, though. She actually just signed up for the Republic military. She's always wanted to be soldier. I guess you could say we're both doing our part, just in different ways."

"If she's anything like you, we'll be lucky to have her. That makes you what, eighteen?"

"Nineteen."

Malcom stopped walking at the hangar door, which was open, looking out over the mountain which served as a security system to the base. Unless you flew, you had to go over the mountains to get to the base. It made a sneak attack almost impossible. The day was going to be sunny, though the elevation made the temperature cool, regardless. Malcom didn't mind the cold. He found it invigorating.

"You're just a kid." He replied.

"Age is irrelevant." Kia said, standing next to the general. She didn't sound upset by his line of questioning, but Malcom wondered if he had probed too far. Jedi weren't known to be sensitive about such things, but this was far from a normal Jedi.

"I'm sorry. Your age is none of my business."

Kia laughed this time. "You're fine. I enjoy talking with people. Ironically, it helps me focus on blocking out the emotions around me. It's an exercise my master encourages me practice as often as possible."

Malcom crossed his arms over his chest. "So you were focusing on my emotions during our conversation?"

"Yes. Yours and my own. This allowed me to block out everyone else. Each time I run through the exercise, I get just a little better at blocking out the emotional bombardment, turning it into white noise. I need to learn to filter, so I can pay attention during important conversations or when I'm interacting with others. I'm easily distracted and some people find it...irritating."

Malcolm chuckled at the Jedi's honesty, but his personal holovid began to beep before he could comment.

"Excuse me, I need to take this."

"Of course." Kia said, looking out at the mountain. "Thank you for the talk."

With a final nod, Malcom headed back into the base to answer the call, leaving Kia outside, where she leaned against the door and once again tried to slip into a light meditative state. The emotions around her were making the process difficult, but she was determined to succeed.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

4 days, 4 chapters...I am on a roll! Thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia sat quietly in her room, meditating. It had taken nearly a full day, but she finally managed to block out enough of the emotions on the base to get herself into peaceful meditative state. Her short talk with General Malcom had helped, allowing her mind to focus. As she meditated, she did her best not to reach out to Gnost-Dural. Her master was no doubt close to, if not already actively, infiltrating the Imperial base. He didn't need any distraction from her mind probing his.

She took slow, deep breaths, allowing the Force to to relax her mind. Suddenly, her master's mind reached out to her. It wasn't so much a call for help, than a warning. The contact startled Kia, causing her heart to beat faster and her eyes to flip open. "No." she said quietly, as she hurried down the hall to the command center.

When she arrived, General Malcom was barking orders left and right. He saw her come in and was about to speak, but Kia beat him to the punch.

"It was a trap!" She said, trying her best to will her heart to slow. She was a Jedi and she needed to stay calm.

The general gave her a confused look. "How'd you know? We just got the distress call from Master Gnost-Dural."

"I felt my master's mind reach out to me. It snapped me out of a deep meditation. What happened? What went wrong?"

"We're not sure yet. Somehow Octon knew we were coming. He seemed to know every detail of our mission, where we were going in, how we planned to take down their security. It's almost like he knew all the intel we received…" the general trailed off, as realization hit him. "Son of a Hutt! How could I be so naive. Octon planted the intel and is playing us! He somehow was able to extract the authentication codes from one of the SIS operatives before he killed them. They were in enemy hands long enough. The intel we received was planted." He slammed his hand down on the console.

"Peace, General." Kia said gently, placing a hand on the general's arm, using some of her Force abilities to help calm him. "Your men are still alive. So is Master Gnost-Dural. I can sense it. If this was just an ambush, all of them would be dead now. There's something bigger at work."

The base's holo began to beep, indicating there was an incoming call. The communications officer opened the channel, everyone expecting to see one of the their own soldiers or even Gnost-Dural, since the call was coming from one of their communicators, but the figure before them was obviously a Sith. He was human, wearing long robes with the hood pulled up, but it wasn't obscuring his face. He had a look that could only be described as a triumphant sneer.

"Ah, General Jace Malcom. It's good to finally meet you. I hope you don't mind I borrowed this communicator from one of your soldiers. I so very much wished to speak with you and he really doesn't need it, at the moment. You see, this occupation of Alderaan is of no interest to me. I could care less about this world and it's spineless, inbred inhabitants. My interest lies squarely with you." Octon paused, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. "You were the beginning of the downfall of my master, Darth Malgus. He was to empower the Empire with his rule, but now, all there is left is revenge. I have many to kill, but you get the honor of being the first. You did not kill him yourself, but you started his defeat. You and the Jedi. I had hoped the woman would still be fighting alongside you, but I guess I'll have to settle for only you. I'll get to her eventually. Perhaps I can use my new Jedi friend."

"What do you want, Octon?' Malcom said, seething.

"As I stated, I want you. More specifically, I want your death. Now, I'm not stupid enough to think you'd just give yourself over to me in exchange for your men and your Jedi. Please, come, try to rescue them. They are all still alive, but I can't guarantee I'll keep them that way for long. Come. Face me. Bring as many of your remaining soldiers as you wish. I'll be happy to kill them all alongside you. Or, I suppose, you can cut your losses. Just know, if you do not arrive within two days, I'll begin systematically torturing your men to death, one by one."

There was a blood curdling scream in the background and the holo went dead, leaving the room eerily quiet.

"Your orders, General." Captain Lorn asked. His voice was slightly shaky.

"Gather the men. I'll address them within the hour." Malcom turned to leave. "Master Jedi, a word?"

Kia hated being called Master Jedi. It was meant as a sign of respect from non-Force users, but she wasn't even a full Jedi, let alone a master, but she didn't comment on it. Now was not the time. Instead, she quietly followed the general to the war room. Once they were both inside, Malcom closed the door behind them.

"Your thoughts, Kia?" He asked less formally.

"As I said, your men and Gnost-Dural are all still alive. If this Sith's presence on Alderaan is entirely due to his desire for revenge on you, then I think you have little option but to face him. Unless, you're pragmatic, as he said and…"

"No!" Malcom said, more forcefully than he had intended, startling Kia slightly. "I will not leave my men in Octon's hands if there's something I can do about it. They're in cells now because of me and I will get them out. I will not leave Octon to continue to prey on those who were involved with Malgus's defeat."

He paced back and forth, Kia watching quietly. Master Gnost-Dural had told her about some of the history of Alderaan before they arrived. She knew General Malcom had helped liberate the planet from the Empire, back when he was still commander of Havoc Squad. Who could have predicted his accomplishments back then would someday come back to haunt him.

"I plan to ask for volunteers among the men to go with me. I will find and kill Octon and rescue my men, as well as your master. You should stay here…"

It was Kia's turn to object, though not nearly as forcefully. "No. I'm going with you. Octon said to bring any of your remaining soldiers. He said nothing about me. Trust me, if he knew I was here, he'd have mentioned it, used it to goad me into coming with you. I know I'm probably not much of a match for a Sith lord, but I must try."

Malcom sighed deeply. He didn't like the idea of taking Kia with him, she was barely an adult, but how could he say no. Her master was being held prisoner and she was still a Jedi. If it gave them even a slight edge, he'd take it. Besides, there was nothing stopping her from following along anyway, depending on how seriously she took his orders.

"Very well, but don't take any unnecessary risks."

Kia nodded. Malcom could tell she was nervous. She obviously hadn't learned the fine art of concealing her emotions. Hopefully, she'd live long enough to learn.

Two hours later, General Malcom, along with Padawan Kia and a dozen volunteers were boarding speeders. Stealth was no longer needed as they headed to face the Sith.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Next chapter is up. Again, thanks for reading.

* * *

When the small Republic force arrived at the Imperial compound almost a full day later, the place looked almost deserted, as if the Sith had evacuated the entire base during their journey. All of the outside guns and artillery were unmanned. It was eerily quiet, without even the hum of a forcefield to be heard. Bases were never this quiet. Something was off and they didn't need to be Force sensitive to sense it.

Malcom scowled as the main entrance. "I don't like this. How arrogant is this Sith to not even post guards? Let's hope he didn't just pull out of the base and plans to blow it sky high when we get close enough."

Kia closed her eyes for a few moments, then looked up at the general. "No, his soldiers are in there, but they're posted towards the back of the base, close to the prisoners. As far as I can tell, the first half of the facility is completely devoid of opposition. Octon's in there too, but I can't pinpoint him. I can feel his presence, but little else. I think he's shielding himself."

"From you? I thought you believed he didn't know about you." Malcom asked.

Kia shook her head. "No, I think he's blocking from Gnost-Dural. He's not trying to hide, only prevent mental manipulation. It's possible my master is doing his best to distract the Sith. I'd try to locate him a little more exactly, but I'm afraid to probe too closely. As it is, I'm not sure if he'll sense me coming or not. I'm shielding as Gnost-Dural taught me, but I have no idea if it's doing any good. " She scoffed. "Or if I'm powerful enough to even be a blip on his radar."

Malcom turned to his men. "Prepare to go in. Remember, this is a search and rescue mission, but the enemy knows we're coming. He's no doubt placed his men in strategic locations to try to cut us down. Stay sharp and prepare for a trap." He looked of at Kia. "And you do your best to stay out of the line of fire."

"Not a problem, General." Kia replied.

"Here we go." Malcom said, leading his men into the base.

Just as Kia had said, there were no soldiers anywhere to be seen. There were also no locked doors or force fields. It was all too easy. The situation screamed trap and they were walking right into it.

After passing several empty rooms, carefully checking each one before continuing on, they came to a nearly empty room the size of a warehouse. The room had a high ceiling, with medium sized crates stacked at the far back, leaving most of the room bare. Standing at the far side was Lord Octon, alone. He had a sinister smile on his face, easily seen with his hood thrown back. His head was bald, having several black tattoos radiating down the sides of his neck, disappearing into his robes, amplifying his white, veiny skin.

"So, you brought with you a second Jedi, though I'm not sure if this one qualifies. Maybe I'll capture her, too. I could torture her until she turns to the darkside, though I doubt it would be worth the trouble. I can feel her weakness from here."

"You wanted me here, and here I am. Now face me." Malcom yelled, positioning himself between the Sith and the young Jedi, ignoring his rant entirely. The general was focused, his assault cannon at the ready.

Kia reached out and placed a gentle hand on the general's arm. "No, I'll face him. You go find your men and my master."

"Yes, go General. Scurry away and try to save your men. Let this child fight your battles. I'll dispose of the whelp and be right with you. I've ordered my men to make sure to leave you alive, so you can witness me killing every single one of your soldiers before finally getting around to what I have planned for you."

"This is why I came, General. Go." Kia said again. Internally, she was screaming at herself. There was absolutely no way she would be able to match a Sith lord. If the Sith wanted to simply kill her, he'd probably have little to no difficulty doing so, but Kia was banking on his confidence forcing him to toy with her before he finished her off. Like a cat playing with a mouse, the game was irresistible to him, or so she hoped. Gnost-Dural was an expert on Sith and he had shared his knowledge with his padawan.

Without a word, Malcom nodded and led his men further into the base, though he was beyond conflicted. He didn't want to leave the padawan alone to be slaughtered, but what choice did he have. He needed to get to his men and the Jedi master quickly, before more Imperials joined the party. If he freed the Kel Dor in time, there would still be a chance he could assist his student before it was too late.

"None of them will survive what my men have planned, little one. You'll be sacrificing yourself for nothing." Octon said, igniting his lightsaber and taking a few steps towards Kia. The red blade hummed softly in the quiet of the room. She could see his eyes almost glowing yellow. They looked odd in his human face. Kia had never seen a Sith up close before. Seeing the corruption on his face, just as her master had described in one of his lessons, was unnerving.

"I'm standing up for what I believe in. I wouldn't call that nothing. Besides, I think you're underestimating General Malcom. If he can defeat Darth Malgus, he'll have no problem with you." Kia replied slowly, taking out her own lightsaber, but not igniting it yet. She needed to drag this out as much as possible, since she doubted she'd last very long once the actual fighting started. Bring up the Sith's dead master might have been a little too close to the line, but at least she had his attention.

She took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. She needed to calm her racing heart. She needed to focus.

"You know nothing, little one." He paused, sizing her up. It felt like he was looking through her.

Kia could sense, with a little effort, that her comment had angered the Sith just enough to keep his focus on the game he was playing, but not enough to make him attack in retribution.

"You must be just an apprentice. The apprentice of the Jedi I captured, if I had to guess. You do know, true power doesn't come from your fabled Jedi calm. The darkside holds the true power of the Force. Powers your masters could only dream of possessing. If I didn't already feel how weak you are, I'd show you myself, but I don't waste my time with the weak." Octon circled around closer to Kia, terribly slowly, and she moved with him, doing her best to keep herself with her back to a wall, facing the Sith. She didn't want to be ambushed from behind, though she didn't sense anyone near them. She did, however, sense that the general had finally engaged some of Octon's men.

"You like listening to yourself talk, don't you? Probably the reason you don't have an apprentice of your own. Anyone you tried to train would probably kill themselves just to be away from your yammering." Kia replied, finally igniting her lightsaber. "I'm shocked another Sith didn't kill you long ago, just to shut you up."

Octon clicked his tongue several times. "Now, now. That doesn't sound very Jedi like." He waved his lightsaber back and forth slowly, as if to put Kia into a trance. There was a long unending pause, like Octon were waiting from Kia to make the first move or to reply to his comment.

Suddenly, Octon lept at Kia, blade overhead. Kia barely had time to block the blow, sensing his motion just in time to move her own blade into a defensive position.

She stepped back and went into a defensive stance, just has Gnost-Dural had trained her to do on Tython. She did her best to block the Sith's advances, and she was honestly impressed that she was doing an okay job, though she could tell the Sith wasn't trying his hardest. He was toying with her, just as she thought he would, wearing her down slowly. If he wanted a quick death, she'd already be dead.

Kia did her best, but saber fighting had never been one of her strengths, and she was tiring quickly. A Jedi master could use the Force to sustain a defensive posture for hours, sometimes days, but Kia would be lucky to last ten minutes. She focused on pushing back her fear, so she could be calm enough to allow the Force to help guide her actions.

As she blocked blows, Kia could continue to sense General Malcom's progress. He was doing well. She could tell he was thinking his way through each obstacle Octon had placed in his path. General Malcom was a seasoned soldier, as well as an honored and decorated war hero, even if he currently held a position of command outside of active combat. Octon's forces would be no match for him and his well trained Republic forces.

Malcom was very nearly to where she could sense her master and had yet to lose a single man. Unfortunately, Kia wasn't skilled enough to focus both on the battle with Octon and on the soldier's progress. A sudden wave of pain coming from the general caused her to lose focus and she stumbled back, Octon's blade slicing nearly clean through her right arm.

Kia landed on her side, her lightsaber flying several feet away. She cradled her now useless arm to her side. Though there was no blood, thanks to the lightsaber's glowing red blade cauterizing the wound as it was made, the pain was almost too much for her to bare. She struggled to use the Force to push the pain back. She didn't want to pass out. Kia was as good as dead, but if she lost consciousness, she'd have no change at all.

"I think I've had enough of you, little one. If I wish to kill Malcom myself, I fear I need to end this little exercise. My men have been known to get carried away sometimes. I wouldn't want one of them to go and kill my prize, though I do love executing them for disobeying my commands."

Octon spoke arrogantly, but Kia could sense some concern in him. Almost fear. No doubt he could sense General Malcom's progress as easily as she had. He was beginning to worry his plan might fail unless he took matters into his own hands. Killing a weak Jedi padawan was just an amusing game to him and now the game was over.

As Octon spoke, Kia came up with a plan, despite her fear and pain. It was a risky plan, but it was the only chance she had to distract Octon and buy the general a little more time and, possibly, save her own life in the process. General Malcom had taken a slight hit, but was still fighting and he was close now.

Kia had to time this perfectly. She stopped trying to control her emotions and allowed her fear to take over. Her heart began to beat rapidly and Kia focused on preventing herself from passing out from the pain in her right arm. She needed the Sith to truly believe she was being overtaken by her pain and fear. She needed her emotions to distract him and pull him close.

With her good arm, which was cradling her right side, she slowly reached into her robe, feeling the hilt of the small military utility knife she carried. It had been a gift from her sister before she enlisted in the military. Kia carried it around for good luck.

"Goodbye, little one." Octon said, lifting his lightsaber up for a killing blow. "I admire your courage. Maybe you could have been a Sith, afterall. Now we'll never know."

Octon got closer and closer. Kia was counting on him wanting to be up close and personal before he let the killing blow fall, trusting he wouldn't just snap her neck from a distance. She waited...closer...closer. Once he was in range, Kia grabbed her knife and thrust it upward with as much strength as she had left. The motion was awkward without her right arm available for balance, but she tightened her core, forcing herself to remain upright.

The blade penetrated Octon under the chin, going right up into his skull. Out of surprise, the Sith dropped his lightsaber, which closed down when it hit the floor, nearly hitting Kia in the process. She slide out of the way of the falling blade just in time to prevent losing a leg.

Kia called on the Force to give herself just a tiny bit more strength, allowing her to reach her knees, pulling the blade out of the Sith. The wound produced very little blood, leaving the knife almost clean, allowing Kia a firm grip on the hilt. Without another word, Kia plunged the blade into Octon's heart. The Sith's eyes widened for only a moment, before closing as he hit the floor, Kia's knife still firmly planted his his chest.

Kia let out a long breath, collapsing next to her fallen opponent, her eyes also closing.

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To Be Continued...

I hope you're enjoying my little tale so far. Let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello all. Thanks for reading. I really need to post more often on this one. I just finished chapter 70. :)

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Gnost-Dural was snapped out of his meditation as Kia's mind screamed out in pain. He had been doing his best to distract the Sith as General Malcom's forces infiltrated the Imperial base. He was disappointed his padawan had come with the general's team, but he was also not surprised by her actions. Kia was one of the most loyal students he had ever taught. There was no way she would have stayed behind, even though she knew she wasn't ready for a battle of this nature.

The Jedi had felt his padawan as she confronted the older and stronger Sith. She was afraid, but calm. He did what he could to help her keep her mind clear, but there was little else to be done. Gnost-Dural was fairly closely bonded with Kia, but behind a forcefield, there was nothing he could do to save her.

Then he felt her fall. She had taken a hit and was badly wounded, but still alive.

As the Jedi leapt to his feet, determined to break out of his cell, even if he had to bring the room down around him to do it, he saw General Malcom and his men enter the room, mowing down the soldiers guarding the room and those taken by surprise within. Octon's men had been overconfident that the Republic soldiers wouldn't make it this far into the base. They learned the hard way, you didn't underestimate the Republic.

"Get those force fields down, Sergeant." Malcom barked to one of his men, as he approached the cell containing the Jedi master. The general was in his element, now. He was a good base commander, but he was a fieldman at heart. A true warhorse.

"We must get to Kia. She's been severely injured." Gnost-Dural said, calling his lightsaber to his hand from where the Imperials had piled their weapons across the room. "She can't last much longer against Octon."

The Jedi sprinted off without another word, faster than any normal person should be able to go, leaving Malcom and his men to mop up the rest of the Imperial resistance.

Gnost-Dural hoped he was not too late.

It only took a few moments for him to arrive in the large room. Both the Sith and his padawan lay motionless on the ground, a large pool of blood forming under the Sith.

Gnost-Dural carefully circled around the carnage, lifting Kia off the ground and away from the blood pool, which had almost spread to where she lay, unmoving. He was thankful to see none of the blood was coming from his fallen student.

He placed her down on the opposite side of the room, seeing her right arm only being held on by the barest of bone and skin. She was breathing shallowly. It was a kindness that Kia was unconscious, since she would no doubt be in considerable pain. No matter how severe, lightsaber wounds hurt.

He knelt beside her, placing a hand on her forehead, calling upon the healing power of the Force. Gnost-Dural wasn't a healer, but all Jedi learned basic healing skills, though nothing strong enough to impact her wounded arm. He focused on making her comfortable and taking away some of her pain. His efforts were rewarded by Kia's breathing becoming stronger and more steady.

Several minutes later, General Malcom and his men began to filter in, still on alert, but also reassured by victory. Malcom had taken a glancing blow to the side, but his medtech had patched him up, and none of his men had any major injuries.

"Fan out and clear out the rest of the base. Find what intel you can. We're not staying any longer than we need to. There aren't enough of us to hold this base for long if reinforcement arrive. I doubt it'll take long for the Imperials to discover the base has gone dark."

Malcom turned to his medic, who was just entering the room. "Tend to the Jedi."

The medic nodded, hurrying over the where Gnost-Dural was still quietly meditating next to his fallen student.

Malcom approached the dead Sith, eyeing the knife sticking out of his chest. On closer inspection, he could also see a knife wound under the Sith's chin. Had this padawan, small of stature and barely an adult, been able to overtake a Sith lord twice her size and several times more powerful, with what looked like a simple military utility knife?

He pulled the knife out of the Sith, wiping it off on the dead Sith's robes, then stepped back before he stepped in the spreading blood.

Malcom walked over to the unconscious Jedi, standing over his medic as he worked on Kia, who was still unmoving. Gnost-Dural had stepped back, allowing the medic to work. He stood next to the general.

"Her right arm was nearly severed, but I sensed no other injuries." He stated.

"She killed the Sith with this." He held up the knife for the Jedi to see. "I didn't know members of your order cared weapons other than lightsabers."

Gnost-Dural chuckled lightly. "We normally don't. Kia received that knife as a gift from her twin sister when she enlisted in the military. I didn't know she carried it with her."

Malcom nodded, impressed. "After she was injured, she must have had a clear enough mind to not only remember she had the knife, but also use it very effectively. She waited until he was good and close to attack. Impressive."

"I just hope she lives long enough to tell us the tale." Gnost-Dural said calmly, though Malcom knew he was worried. Jedi or not, they still felt concern for their fallen. "I think I was able to stabilize her slightly, but healing was never been one of my natural gifts. Fortunately, blood loss wouldn't be an issue, since lightsabers cauterize. I just hope her body doesn't shut down from shock."

They stood quietly as the medic worked, injecting Kia with several meds and wrapping a dermal splint around the wound on her arm, then secured the arm to her body. Once done, the medic stood, stretching his legs, which had been folded under him as we worked.

"I've stabilized her, Sir, but there is nothing I can do for the arm until we get back to base. Reattaching it will take tools and time we don't have here. I'm not even sure if it can be reattached. I've never tried to reattach a limb cut off by a lightsaber before. We might need to take her to house Organa." He said.

Malcom nodded. "Take one of the speeders and get her back to base. If you need to take her to house Organa, do it. Do whatever you need to do to save her arm."

"I will stay here and help with the search for intel, just in case we get company. My padawan is in good hands." Gnost-Dural said.

Malcom wasn't surprised the Jedi decided not to follow his injured student back to base. Jedi have an odd sense of priorities, but he had to admit, they did have guts. Even the ones who seemed too young to hold such courage. He placed Kia's knife in his belt. He'd keep it safe, until he could return it.

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To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

New chapter up. Enjoy!

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Supreme Commander Jace Malcom walked casually to the chancellor's office. He was already running five minutes late, but he really didn't want to be alone with Saresh. He was still not sure what to make of the new chancellor, even though she had been the one to appoint him to the position of supreme commander of all Republic military. He wasn't really in the mood to exchange idle chit chat with the woman. Not to mention he was slightly conflicted about the topic of their meeting.

The meeting was to do formal introductions with the new Jedi liaison being sent by the Jedi council.

It had been several months since Master Gnost-Dural and SIS Agent Theron Shan had sabotaged the Ascendant Spear, allowing operation Endgame to be one of the Republic's most successful campaigns against the Empire in history. It was decided that cooperation was the newest strategy for the different departments of the Republic, hence the Jedi liaison. Although the Jedi had council chambers on the planet, members of the council rarely spent much time on Coruscant. There were several Jedi on the planet, of course, but most were researchers and were in no position to speak for the Jedi council. In the past, if Jedi intervention was needed, the council was contacted and they would send a representative to Coruscant.

This Jedi would live and work on Coruscant, being assigned to go on missions with the SIS, the military, special forces or anyone else who would benefit from Jedi assistance. The liaison would also help communicate with the council when other Jedi assistance was needed outside of that Jedi himself. He would be the eyes, ears and voice of the council and would represent them during official matters on Coruscant.

The idea was sound, in theory, but Malcom was still not entirely convinced he trusted the Jedi. True, Master Gnost-Dural had proven himself several times over the years, but Grandmaster Shan had wounded the commander more deeply than he could forgive. It went way beyond ending their relationship. Their separation he understood and had forgiven a long time ago.

Satele hadn't told Malcom she was pregnant when she left him so many decades ago. The fact he had to learn about his own son's existence from a SIS report and put it together for himself from Agent Shan's dossier, infuriated Malcom. She had denied him the chance to know his son. Theron wasn't overly happy about it either, but they were doing their best to have a relationship, despite what Satele had done. The situation was complicated. Neither man was what you would call 'good' at relationships outside of work.

Was it unfair to mistrust the entire Order for her lie? Probably, considering the lie was of a personal nature, but what was done was done. All Malcom could do now was do his best to work with the new Jedi liaison and separate his work life from his personal life, for the sake of the Republic.

Chancellor Saresh's secretary, a young female mirialan with small, black diamond shaped tattoos on her cheeks, gave Malcom a cheery smile as he entered the office.

"Good morning, Commander. You can go right in, the chancellor is expecting you." She said happily as she pressed a button on her desk and the door slide open.

Malcom nodded and went in, disappointed to find Saresh alone in the room. Apparently he wasn't the only person running late this morning.

"Good morning, Commander. Please, have a seat." She motioned to one of four seats in front of her desk. "There was a bit of confusion over getting a permanent landing platform for the Jedi's ship. She should be along any moment."

"Do we know anything about this Jedi?' He asked.

"Very little, but I trust the council will send someone up to the task. More open communication will make working together more efficient. Not to mention having a link to the council without having to actually speak with them ourselves will be nice. I understand the need to communicate, but Jedi are not the easiest to talked to, particularly the more powerful ones on the council."

Malcom had to laugh. It was hard to talk with a Jedi without feeling like you were being preached at. For their part, the Jedi didn't even seem to know they were being preachy when they used their usual Jedi platitudes. It was frustrating, but amusing that he wasn't the only one to think so.

The communicator on the chancellor's desk beeped and her secretary's voice came on. "The representative from the Jedi has arrived, Chancellor."

"Excellent, show her in." Saresh replied. She stood, her yellow skin a stark contrast to the white uniform the Twi'lek favored since taking office, and stood in front of her desk, being as welcoming as the woman could manage, despite her icy personality.

The door opened and a familiar face walked in. Standing before them was Kia Wryn. She looked different than when Malcom had seen her last. Her hair was shorter, falling loose just below her shoulders and her skin was just a shade or two darker, obviously from extended time outdoors. She was dressed in a dark blue tunic with a darker blue robe over it, which accentuated the green of her eyes. She had a relaxed, seasoned presence she hadn't had on Alderaan, though she still looked incredibly young.

Malcom stood.

"Welcome, Master Jedi. Supreme Commander Malcom, this is…"

"Kia Wryn." He said, smiling.

"Jedi Knight, now." She replied.

"So, I'm not the only one to have gotten a promotion since Alderaan." Malcom said.

Kia laughed. "So it would seem. It's nice to see you again, Commander."

"You know each other?" Saresh asked, looking between them.

"Knight Wryn was Master Gnost-Dural's padawan during the mission he commanded six years ago to defeat Lord Octon on Alderaan. It was her first Sith kill, if I remember correctly."

"It was indeed, though I damn near lost an arm for my efforts." Kia replied, unconsciously rubbing her right arm where it had almost been severed from her body. She still spoke in a less than Jedi like manner. This made Malcom happy. From his experiences with Jedi, Kia had been the only one he had ever met who he could carry on a conversation without getting irritated.

"This is perfect then. You can help Knight Wryn get acclimated with her new office, her duties and introduce her to Director Trant. That is, if you don't mind, Commander."

"Not at all. I'd be happy to." Normally, Malcom wasn't one to like playing tour guide, but in this case he didn't mind so much. Anything to get out of Saresh's office. The Twi'lek had a way about her that put him on edge.

Saresh clapped her hands together. "It's settled then. I'll leave you to it. I need to meet with a few of senators to go over budget restraints and this will give me a few extra minutes to prepare."

Malcom escorted Kia out of the office and walked with her down the hall. "How's your head? I know you were less than confident about visiting Coruscant the last time we spoke."

Kia waved off the comment, though she was flattered he remembered their conversation. "Oh, I'm fine now. I've gotten a handle on my abilities since Alderaan. I barely even register the emotions of all the people around me anymore. I can sense them, of course, but I've learned how to deal with them. I'll need to adjust, though it's nothing I can't handle."

Malcom placed his hands behind his back as they walked, being reminded of their first real conversation while still on Alderaan. "That's good. How did your arm do with the rehab? You were having some difficulties when you left Alderaan."

Kia had stayed on Alderaan while her arm healed and had scheduled a second surgery to repair the damage when she returned to Tython. Malcom hadn't heard anything since her departure and hadn't thought to inquire.

Kia sighed. "I never regained full function, even with two additional surgeries. Don't get me wrong, it works just fine, but I still get some numbness and pain off and on when I overwork it. I usually wear a stim band around the scar when there's a possibility I'll be fighting. I also learned to use two lightsabers and my left hand is now my dominant hand."

"Good strategy. That explains the two lightsabers."

"Indeed. I've done quite a bit of adapting over the years. I worked hard with Masters Gnost-Dural and Jaric Kaedan to learn how to fight with two lightsabers, so I'm not at a handicap. They say I've excelled and Master Kaedan never sugarcoats anything. I must have, since the council gave me this assignment." She looked over at Malcom and smiled. "Enough talk about me. How have you been? I heard all about operation Endgame from my master. You must feel a great deal better now that the Ascendant Spear is rubble."

'It was a great victory for the Republic. It was one of my first true missions after being asked to become supreme commander. It feels unusual to be totally out of the fighting, but I guess it's a good thing. Leave the fighting to the young blood. Speaking of young blood, your sister has done well for herself."

"One of the youngest commanders of Havoc Squad in history. I'm not surprised. She's always excelled at everything she's strived to do. She was put in a difficult situation, but she did well. Hopefully, holding a post here will allow me to see her more often. She very rarely had any reason to travel to Tython."

They walked quietly for a few minutes, taking the lift when it arrived. "I'm on the 4th floor, I think." Kia said.

Malcom chuckled. "They put you right next to the main hub for the SIS. Guess I shouldn't be shocked by that one. You'll find bureaucrats like the keep the military and special forces away from the spooks. They must see you as more of an agent than a soldier."

Kia shrugged. "See me as they will. I'm a Jedi and I'm governed by the Jedi council above all others. I will do what I can to work with everyone, of course, it's why I'm here, but at the end of the day, my actions will be directed by my own mind and those of my fellow Jedi."

Malcom nodded as they got off the lift on the 4th floor and started to head towards the office of Director Marcus Trant, the head of the SIS. "Good. Better plans come from people do don't always agree with each other. There are enough 'yes' men in this city. I'm glad to hear you'll have a mind of your own. It's refreshing."

They walked into the Director's office to find his secretary sitting quietly, reading a datapad. She put the pad down quickly when she saw who had entered. Everyone on Coruscant had a great deal of respect for the supreme commander, considering his history as a war hero.

"Supreme Commander Malcom. I didn't know you had an appointment with the director today." She said, taking a quick look at her computer, as if to figure out how she could miss such an important meeting.

"I don't actually have an appointment. I was just hoping he was free for a few minutes to met the newest member of our braintrust."

"I'll ask. He's free for the next half hour or so, so I don't see why not. I'm sure he'll be happy to meet with you." She dialed the holo on her desk and moments later a small holo of Director Trant appeared.

"Yes, Hiana, what is it?"

"Commander Malcom is here to see you, Sir, if you have a few minutes?" She asked.

"Of course. I always have time to speak with the commander."

Malcom fought not to chuckle. Of course SIS director Trant would see them. Malcom was one of the reasons the SIS got more funding for their operations. Not everyone saw the value of the work the SIS brought to the table, but with the supreme commander on their side, the SIS could get just about anything they required.

Hiana nodded. "Right away, Sir." She ended the holo call and look up at Malcom and Kia. "Go right in, Sir."

As they walked in, a cheery voice greeted them.

"Ah, Commander. What may I owe this unexpected visit." The man behind the desk said, standing to greet his guests. Marcus Trant was an older man, with brown skin, eyes and hair, which was only just starting to grey, regardless of being well in his fifties. He was of medium height and build. Basically, he is what a person would think of when asked to describe a spy. Completely unmemorable.

"Marcus, I wanted to introduce you to our newest coworker." Malcom said, allowing Kia to step forward.

"Yes, of course. You must be our new Jedi liaison, Knight Kia Wryn, if I remember correctly." Marcus stepped around his desk and bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you, Master Jedi."

Kia rolled her eyes. "I never did like being called that. You can stick with Kia or Knight Wryn, when you wish to be more formal."

"Very well, Kia. I hear you'll be joining us on this floor. Your office is three doors down from here."

"I have a feeling I won't be using the office much. With the war, it sounds like I'll be kept very busy."

Marcus leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't doubt that. You'll have to stop by sometime when you're not busy. We could have lunch."

If Kia hadn't known any better, she could almost swear the director was flirting with her. His emotions backed up her theory. She could sense his attraction. "That would be nice." She replied, not wanting to be rude. Maybe being flirtatious was all a part of being a spy, but Kia had known too few spies to make the comparison.

Hiana looked into the door, what looked like a senator standing behind her. "Sir, Senator Waller is here for his meeting."

Marcus stopped leaning on his desk, straightening his uniform. "Of course. If you'll excuse me Commander, Knight Wryn. I'm sure I'll being seeing both of you again soon."

With a final nod, Kia and Malcom left the Director to his meeting.

After showing Kia her new office, Malcom left for a meeting of his own and Kia headed to her apartment, which would be home of the foreseeable future. The place was only a short speeder flight away and was actually in a very nice building.

Kia entered to find a modestly sized apartment, which had a living room with a sofa and two chairs, along with a small four person table and an equally small kitchen. The place had been furnished nicely, far better than most places owed by Jedi. Kia didn't mind, though. She had always been taught to be appreciative of what was given to her.

Her bedroom contained a king sized bed and her refresher contained probably the biggest shower she had ever seen and a reasonably large tub. It would certainly do, for however long she ended up staying on Coruscant.

Kia sat on her bed, closing her eyes and ran through a quick relaxation meditation. The emotions of the planet had shocked her, at first, causing her to be late for her meeting with the supreme chancellor, but she had a handle on it now, partially thanks to her tour with Malcom. It was good practice for her to be around this many non-Force users, but it would take a great deal of getting used to.

She was looking forward to every minute of of the challenge.

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To Be Continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 up. :)

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Over the next two weeks, Kia found herself constantly on the run, going between mission discussions with the various independent departments making up both the SIS and the military. She called the Jedi council on Tython at least once a day and she already was scheduled to leave for a two week mission with one of the special forces black ops teams.

Considering his schedule, Malcom wasn't surprised he rarely ran into Coruscant's new Jedi liaison. It wasn't until he actually managed to make one of his scheduled workout times that he found her at the senate tower gym. He arrived in time to see the end of a lightsaber duel between Kia and one of the other Jedi living in the city. There was quite a crowd watching the exchange. Like them or hate them, Jedi lightsaber combat was impressive to watch.

Malcom could tell, even from the short audience, that Kia had greatly improved her technique since her time as a padawan. He hadn't actually seen her fight Lord Octon, but if she had been this good, she wouldn't have almost lost an arm from the encounter. Her movements were now sure and fluid, almost like a dance. It was obvious she was far better at combat than the male mirialan she was fighting.

After about five minutes, the two bowed to each other, closing down their lightsabers. The crowd around them dissolved and Malcom walked over to them, smiling.

"You weren't lying. You seem very good in a fight." He said to Kia.

Kia nodded. "I am, though I need to practice regularly, to keep my right arm from getting stiff."

Kia was wearing a sleeveless tunic, which showed her bare arms. On the right arm, right where her scar was located, was a band made of fabric with a metal control panel. It was no doubt the stim band she said she had to wear to help keep her arm from going numb when she was fighting with her lightsaber.

Malcom thought it was sad, to be so young and already need a medical device to perform at her best, though Kia didn't seem to mind.

"Attros here has volunteered to help me with my arm." Kia said, pointing to the extremely tired looking mirialan. Malcom recognized him as one of the Jedi researchers who worked in the senate tower.

"I'm trying to come up with a treatment which hopefully with help Kia reduce her need for a stim band. Limb reattachment without cybernetic replacement is a fascinating field of study. I look forward to the work."

"Attros can work on his research and I get to practice with a live person. Practice drones are alright for a light workout, but nothing beats dueling a live person."

"Not that I offer you much of a challenge." Attros replied, wiping his forehead with a towel. "I'm afraid I've let my saber technique slide a little since moving here. All this practice is good for me."

"It's easy to forget that all Jedi get some martial training, even if they're diplomats or healers." Malcom commented, looking between the Jedi. "You're probably the only Jedi here who'll see regular combat."

"Another excellent reason to keep practicing and for Attros to work on finding a more permanent solution to my arm."

"Well, it's been fun, Kia, but I need to get back to my lab and run some numbers on this duel." Attros said, heading over to the side of the practice mat, where a small scanner was still running. "I'm hoping I can map out your movements, so I can find some way to pinpoint the exact movements that cause the most damage when you use your arm. If the problem stemmed from your entire arm, you'd have far more problems outside of overuse. There must be a weak point."

"Sounds like a good start, my friend. Let me know if you need anything else from me."

"I'll do. May the Force be with you on your mission." Attros bowed. "And it's nice to speak with you, Commander."

"Likewise, Master Jedi." Malcom said, nodding in recognition.

Once Attros was out of sight, Malcom turned back to Kia. "Looks like you're settling in nicely around here."

"For the most part." Kia went over to the side of the mat where Attros had picked up his scanner, retrieving her outer robe. She turned off her stim band, removed it and placed it in a small case. She then shrugged on her outer robe. "I'm good with the work and I find meditating fairly easy to do, but sleeping is proving difficult. It's hard to ignore all the emotions around me enough to fall asleep. I solve that problem by meditating deeply until I pass out, but staying asleep is also a challenge. It's like the emotions around me are invading my dreams."

"Is that unusual?" Malcom asked, concerned.

"No, this has happened before, when I was on Alderaan at the medical center. My brain does eventually adapt to the volume of emotions around me. It'll just take a couple of months. I'll be fine."

Malcom looked at her skeptically. Jedi had a habit of down pedaling their own welfare. It was something he had seen in Satele when they were together, though he wasn't going to mention that part to Kia. As far as he knew, she knew nothing about his affair with the now grandmaster and it was probably better that way.

"No, really. This has happened before and it does go away. Trust me, I have no desire to overexert myself and go on missions with your men. I wouldn't risk other people's lives for my own stubbornness."

Malcom crossed his arms over this chest and nodded. "I trust you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a well overdue workout to start. Besides, you're leaving on your mission in the morning, correct? You'll have a lot to do before you leave."

Kia smiled proudly. "Indeed I do. I'm looking forward to it."

"Good luck, Kia. Take care of yourself and our men."

"Always will." She replied.

Malcom headed to the gym portion of the room to start his workout and Kia left to return to her apartment. This was her first mission in her new position and she was damn sure going to be ready.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

New chapter up. This chapter and the next are fun and kinda silly at times. Hope you enjoy.

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Kia sat meditating on board a SIS ship, doing her best to get ready for her mission. She'd been working as the Jedi liaison to the Republic for nearly a year and she had gone on almost a dozen mission, all of which had been considered successful, with minimal to no injuries. She had also helped send other Jedi on similar missions, all of which were also deemed successful, for the most part. This mission, however, was something entirely new.

Kia was currently on her way to a small moon just past Alderaan, where several noble families who had once supported the Empire were meeting, apparently to discuss how they can help the Empire return to Alderaan. Kia was to act the part of wife to an agent, who was playing a noblemen, sent to dig up information. The SIS director wanted her to use her empathy to help keep the agent's cover, as well as to pick up what was fact and what wasn't.

This was Kia's first official mission sanctioned by the SIS and would probably be one of the few times she would not be required to do any fighting. She had figured not all her assignments would require her Jedi battle techniques and she knew occasionally, she'd be required to play spy for the SIS. It was an all new skill set, but she was willing to learn. Finding a place to conceal a lightsaber in the robes of a noblewoman was going to be a particularly interesting challenge.

Agent Jonas Balkar walked into her room, clearing his throat, so not to startle the Jedi.

"We'll be there in about four hours. You ready for this?" He asked, leaning against the open door, his arms crossed over this chest.

Kia opened her eyes and looked up at Agent Balkar. "Yes. I can play spy."

He chuckled. "Are you sure. I was skeptical when the director told me I was bringing you along, rather than another agent. I didn't know Jedi knew how to be normal."

Kia stood and approached Balkar. "Trust me, I'm not like other Jedi. I can play the part of a snobbish housewife. You just do your job, I'll have your back, even if that means I need to schmooze with Imperial nobles."

"You should probably get used to calling me Jonas. Most wives don't call their husbands agent. Unless they're into role playing."

Kia rolled her eyes. Jonas have been flirting with her since they were introduced by the director. It seemed to be a part of his personality and only served to confirm her initial suspicion about spies and flirtation. He apparently had worked with her sister on a few occasions and he was a typical man when it came to being around attractive female twins.

"Do you flirt with every woman that crosses your path, or just the highly unavailable ones?" She asked, stepping closer to him. He was only a few inches taller than Kia, and like many SIS field agents, was of medium build with neutral features for a human male. He was fairly attractive, if you could get passed his personality, though Kia wasn't in the habit of seeing men in such a way.

"Just the beautiful ones." He said without hesitation.

"Don't worry, honey, I know you're a good guy. I can't feel any maliciousness or true seriousness in your flirtations." She said with a slight accent you often heard in noble woman from Alderaan. She patted his cheek, kissed him gently on the lips and turned away, taking a few steps, adding a swish to her movement.

Balkar turned slightly red, obviously caught off guard. It took him a few seconds to find words. "You can play a noblewoman. Point taken. They teach you that at the Jedi academy?"

Kia chuckled, turning off the act. "No, I learned it from being stuck on Alderaan for almost 3 months while my arm healed after being reattached. The medical center I was stuck at was the main facility in Organa's palace. My experience with Alderaanian nobles is one of the reasons I was assigned to assist you on this mission."

"Wait a second, you lost your arm!" Balkar said, surprised.

"Nearly." Kia rolled the sleeve of her robe up, so her scar was visible. "I was a padawan at the time and I was fighting a Sith lord. I almost lost the arm, but hey, I'm alive and he's not, so I'd call that a win." She rolled the sleeve back down once Balkar got a good look. "While I was recovering, I spent my time in a hospital wing of house Organa. I had a lot of noble visitors and I learned how to mimic them. What can I say, I was bored."

"So both you and your sister are heroes. I have to say, I feel better about this mission now."

"You had your doubts about me?" Kia placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "You wound me, Sir."

"All right, all right. Save the drama for the party. I'll let you know when we're about an hour away...unless you need more time to get ready?"

"An hour is fine. Thank you, Jonas."

With a nod, Balkar left and Kia returned to her seated position to continue meditating and preparing for the mission.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

New chapter up. This one is on the lighter side. Enjoy.

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Commander Malcom was having a good morning. He arrived at his office later than normal, since he had nothing on his calendar until the afternoon. He liked having empty mornings. It made his day feel less hectic and much shorter, not to mention he could take his time leaving his apartment. Mornings were always so much better if he could manage a cup or two of caf before actually having to function.

"Good Morning." He said to his assistant, Lillian, who was busy typing away on a datapad. She looked up and gave the Commander a welcoming smile. The human woman was in her late twenties, with long blond hair and blue eyes. She always dressed formally and made sure she looked professional. She was studying to be a senate aid and was proud to be the assistant of the supreme commander.

"Good Morning, Sir. You're late. Knight Wryn is waiting in your office for your appointment."

Malcom gave her a confused look, since he was sure he didn't have an appointment with the Jedi, but he didn't say anything, just nodded and entered his office.

The door closed behind him and he turned to find the Jedi currently laying on the small sofa along the side of the room. She had her eyes covered with her arm and her legs were swung over the arm of the sofa, so she was laying flat. It wasn't the most Jedi-like pose.

"Good Morning, Master Jedi." He said calmly, taking a seat behind his desk, as if walking into his office and finding a Jedi lounging on his sofa was an everyday occurrence. "I didn't think we had an appointment today."

"We don't." Kia replied, not moving.

"Then why does my receptionist seem to think we do?"

Kia removed her arm from her eyes and looked over at the commander, smiling slightly. "I might have cheated a little bit with her."

Malcom chuckled. Kia wasn't one to use Jedi mind tricks. She normally didn't agree with their use, unless the circumstances were dire. Malcom knew this from a conversation they had after one of their post mission debriefings. She had to use the technique on an enemy soldier and she felt conflicted about it, at the time.

"Okay. Then why, might I ask, did you feel the need to play with her mind?"

Kia pulled herself to a seated position and leaned back, allowing her head to rest on the back of the sofa. She closed her eyes. "I'm hiding."

"We're not really getting anywhere here, Kia. Just tell me what happened? Who are you hiding from?"

Kia remained silent for a few moment, but eventually pulled her head up and looked at the commander. "I just got back from my first spy mission for the SIS. You know, the one where I was playing wife to Agent Jonas Balkar."

"The director said the mission was a complete success. What could possibly have happened to make you feel you need to hide. In my office, of all places."

"Agent Balkar's feelings towards me were starting to shift from work related to more affection than I was comfortable with, so once our debriefing was done, I hurried over here. I never realized I was that good an actor."

Malcom nodded. "So, instead of telling Agent Balkar you weren't interested, you ran off and hid in my office."

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand." She replied, excited.

Malcom laughed. "So, why my office?"

"Because no one would come looking for me here. I'm sure you don't get very many random visitors, so it seemed the logical place. You don't mind, do you? I did make sure you weren't busy before butting in."

Kia could feel the commander was amused by her stunt. She figured he would be. Everyone else on Coruscant seemed intimidated by Jace Malcom. To be honest, he was an intimidating man. He was tall, strongly built and had the strong will and attitude to match his size. The scars didn't hurt the image, either. But Kia knew he was a nice guy, as long as you didn't do anything to get on his bad side. Regardless of all of it though, he was widely respected and liked by everyone, though not the type you just dropped in on without a good reason.

"I don't mind. You don't plan to live here all day, do you? I do have meetings this afternoon." He said. Kia could feel he was still in a jovial mood.

"Don't worry. I need to be in General Garza's office in about an hour, so I'll be out of your hair before anything on your schedule pops up. I checked with your receptionist while I was planting my fake appointment."

Kia gave Malcom a confused look at the emotions he was experiencing at her mentioning her plans with Graza.

"You know something about me meeting with Garza." Kia said, standing to face the commander. She had been given no details other than Garza needed to see her, which was odd.

"No I don't." He said blankly. If Kia hadn't been Force sensitive, she might have believed him. He had a very good poker face. Truth was, he had met with the general while Kia was still offworld and he knew exactly what was going on.

Kia huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're lying to me. You know I can tell when you lie. I could Force persuade you to tell me the truth, you know."

Malcom just shrugged, looking down at a datapad on his desk as he spoke. "No you can't. I've been told that trick only works on people with weak minds and my mind is far from weak. Give me your best shot." He looked up at her and smiled.

Kia glared at him for a few more moment, then sighed. "Fine, but I'm leaving. I don't have to take this from the likes of you."

Malcom could tell she was still being silly as she stormed out the door.

"Have a good day, Master Jedi." He yelled after her as the door closed. He could just make out the reply of "you too, Commander" before the door closed completely. Malcolm had to chuckle. Kia really was a unique person. Sometimes she was the stereotypical Jedi, all stoic and logical, but other times, she was almost sophomoric in her personality. Malcom found her amusing. It was nice she felt comfortable enough with him to joke around. Malcom had a feeling this was her way of venting her frustrations. Everyone had to have an outlet, it just turned out Kia's was more juvenile than most.

* * *

To Be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

New chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

Major Mia Wryn sat quietly in General Garza's office, waiting for her sister to arrive. Kia hadn't been informed who she was meeting with besides Garza, so seeing Mia would be a surprise, though there was a chance Kia would sense Mia before arriving. The idea had been Garza's. Who knew the general had a whimsical side.

Havoc Squad had been tasked with the acquisition of data and destruction of a new biological weapon being developed on one of the Empire's secret space stations. The station's coordinates had recently been discovered by the SIS and now it was up to special forces to go in and neutralized the bioweapon before any of it could be used, and recover any data about the weapon, just in case their intel was incorrect and the weapon was already in full production.

The mission wouldn't necessarily require the aid of the Jedi, but there was rumored to be at least one Sith overseer on the station and Garza didn't want to take any chances. Bioweapons were not to be taken lightly. She didn't want anything to distract from Havoc's mission of destroying the bioweapon, this included a Sith, and the most efficient way to handle a Sith, was with a Jedi.

Garza had asked for the meeting with the two sisters to ensure there would be no problems with them working together. Normally, she wouldn't assign siblings to work together in such a manor, and as far as she knew, these siblings had yet to be paired up on a mission. The general wanted to see if the sisters believed they could move beyond the family relation and do the job.

"Kia's late." Mia said, sounding slightly impatient.

"She just got back from a mission for the SIS. It's possible her debrief took longer than planned. The director can be long winded." Garza knew this better than most, since she used to be married to Director Trant, what felt like another lifetime ago. "Particularly when women are involved."

XXX

Kia was still in the lift leading up to Garza's office when she sensed her sister. Though Mia wasn't Force sensitive, Kia could still pinpoint her place in the Force when she was near, even when surrounded by millions of other Force nulls. To her, It almost felt like she was finding a piece of herself, which wasn't always present, but was always welcome.

Kia sighed, shaking her head. This was what the commander didn't want to talk about. He had known Mia was on planet and would be at this meeting with Garza. He was the supreme commander, of course he knew exactly where Havoc Squad was assigned. If she hadn't been so distracted by Agent Balkar, she would have sensed her twin earlier. Kia silently scolded herself for being distracted.

The general's assistant didn't say a word, simply gave the Jedi a smile while opening the door for her to enter the office. Garza and Mia both stood when she entered. Kia didn't hesitate to hug her sister and Garza didn't seem to mind the show of affection. It had been months since they'd been in the same room together.

"It's good to see you, Mi."

"Right back at ya, Ki."

The moment only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough.

"Glad you made it back from your SIS mission in one piece, Master Jedi." Garza said, taking a seat. Mia and Kia followed suit.

"It was an exhausting mission. Why is it that the missions which require no fighting are always more taxing."

Garza smiled. "I'm sure it's exhausting to pretend you're someone you're not, but I'm afraid most of our missions require fighting."

"I can't remember the last time I went on a mission and actually had it end peacefully, without any bloodshed." Mia added.

"I'm quickly learning being a spy is a whole new world. But anyway, I'm sure we didn't gather here to discuss my trials in spyland. What's going on?"

"Havoc Squad is being sent to take out a new bioweapon the Empire is developing. Intel suggests the station is being protected by a Sith lord, Darth Novox. Ideally, we'd want to destroy the station without actually boarding, but in this case, their defenses are too strong, so we need the team to go in. This mission is too important to risk failure. I'd like you to accompany Havoc to the space station and deal with any Sith who might try to get in the way. I need to know there won't be any issue with you working with your sister."

"I think I can speak for both of us when I say there will not be a problem. Mia wouldn't have been made leader of Havoc if she let her personal feelings get in the way of her job..."

...and I know Kia is just as good at putting her job first, being a Jedi and all. Not to mention I trust her to take care of herself…"

"...as much as I trust Mia to keep herself alive. We both know the risks and our status as twins won't compromise the mission."

Garza couldn't help but marvel at how the two sisters seemed to complete each other's sentences. They had barely been in the room together five minutes and they were already in perfect sync. She shouldn't have been surprised. Garza knew Major Wryn's work very well and she had spent the last year learning what Knight Wryn was capable of. Together, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

"In that case, I'll let the Major fill you in on the mission, Master Jedi. She's already had the full briefing. I know you just got back from a mission, but you'll need to leave as soon as possible.

"Not to worry, General. I pack light and I'm always ready to go. We can stop by my apartment before we head to the ship. I have no reason to delay."

"Perfect. You are both dismissed." Garza said. Normally, she would have given the team a full briefing herself, but in this case, she trusted Major Wryn would do a far better job. The mission was in good hands.

XXX

Aric Jorgan was just inside the ship, getting it ready to head out, while the Major went to meet with Garza about their next mission. He had been in a relationship with Mia for several months now and had yet to meet her twin sister. She spoke of her often, but their lives rarely crossed paths, since Kia had been living on Tython for most of her life and Havoc just never had a need to go to the Jedi homeworld.

Now, not only was Kia living on Coruscant, but she would most liking be going on their mission with the squad, considering the general wished for a Jedi to accompany them, to deal with any Sith. Aric figured they would be able to handle anything they came across themselves, including Force sensitives, but it wasn't his place to argue with the brass. Besides, if Kia was anything like her sister, she'd be an asset.

"Well, damn. I didn't know there were two of you. Is she just as much of a hardass as you are, Boss?" Aric heard Tanno Vik say from just outside the ship. The cathar just rolled his eyes and headed down the ramp. By the time he made it down to ground level, Vik was silent, being held a few inches off the ground by an invisible force.

"I'm a Jedi, soldier. Do you really want to find out the answer to that question the hard way?" Kia asked. Her tone of voice was firm, but also light.

Aric could only marvel at the two sisters. Mia's hair was shorter, since she kept it cut short and out of the way, and she had a small scar over her right eye, from a shrapnel wound she received on a mission several months ago, but other than that, they were definitely identical twins. He did note that they carried themselves differently. Though Mia was far from clumsy, Kia seemed to move with a light grace as she circled the suspended Weequay. This was probably from years of Jedi training and the simple fact she was wearing Jedi robes, rather than heavy armor.

"I'd be careful, Vik. As you can see, Kia will put up with your antics as much as I will." Mia said, looking over to Kia. Kia nodded and released him.

"Noted. Won't happen again, Boss." He said, hurrying up into the ship.

Aric smiled down at the sisters. "Well handled, Master Jedi."

Kia chuckled. Her voice was just slightly higher pitched than Mia's. Aric doubted anyone besides a cathar would have caught the difference.

Kia waved a hand at him. "Please, Captain. Call me Kia or at the very least, Knight Wryn. I've never liked being called master. Besides, considering the circumstances, I think you can be a little less formal with me."

"You weren't choking him, were you?" Jorgan asked.

"What...no. Of course not. Closing a person's windpipe through the Force is a technique not normally used by Jedi. Unless we're impersonating a Sith, of course, then we might make an exception. I was just holding him immobile and in the air. I could feel his comments weren't meant to be malicious."

"Oh, right...empath. Mia told me about your talents."

"Really? What else has she said about me?" Kia asked, curious. Her sister had never been one for gossip, but then, she'd never been in love before, either. Chances were her sister was a little more talkative with the captain than she'd normally be with others in her squad.

"Okay, enough of that. Captain, are we ready to depart on schedule?" Mia asked Jorgan. It was amazing how she could go from casual to soldier so fluidly.

"Almost, Sir. We just need to get fueled up and let the maintenance droids do a once over on the hyperdrive. We'll be good to go in a hour or so, I'd say."

"Perfect. Can you go ahead and show Kia to her bunk. I need to talk with the deck officer."

"Yes, Sir." Jorgan replied. "If you'll follow me."

Kia only had one small bag. She tended to pack light for missions, only taking a change of clothes, usually a tunic suited to fight in, along with her stim band. Like all Jedi, she was a minimalist and could be ready for action in a moment's notice.

Kia headed up the ramp. Once Kia's back was turned, Aric gave Mia a smile and a quick squeeze of the hand before he followed. Kia felt their emotions and had to pause a fraction of a moment to catch a breath. "So, captain, how long will it take to get to this space station?"

"A day and a half. Two at the most."

"That's not bad." Kia replied, though she was really thinking it would be nice to get some actual verbal details about Mia's relationship. If the emotions they were emitting were any indication, there was definitely some sisterly gossip in her future.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 up. Hope you're enjoying.

* * *

Mia took two mugs of tea into the small room where Kia was sitting quietly, meditating. It was still odd for her to see her twin when she was in full Jedi mode. They honestly hadn't seen each other more than a handful of times since Kia joined the Jedi, but that didn't really matter. They still remained close, though they were always far away. It was a connection they couldn't explain to anyone who didn't have a twin, though the connection was amplified by Kia's Force sensitivity.

Kia looked up when Mia entered, taking a more relaxed position and accepting the mug her sister offered her.

"So, how do you like living on Coruscant?" Mia asked, taking a seat next to Kia.

Kia shrugged, taking a sip of her tea. "It took some getting used to, what with millions of people around, but I like it there. After the first month or so, I adapted to the rampant emotions. I barely even register them anymore. And I like the work and the people I work with. I feel like I'm making a difference."

Mia nodded. "Well, that's what's important. It's nice you're happy."

There was a long pause and Kia waited patiently for Mia to bring up the topic she actually wanted to talk about. After about five minutes of uncomfortable silence, Kia sighed loudly, putting her tea on the table next to her.

"This isn't a long flight, Mi."

Mia laughed nervously. "What do you think of Aric?"

"He seems like a good man. He's loyal and dedicated. His mind is very organized. If he were Force sensitive, he'd have made a good Jedi." Kia replied, intentionally leaving out any of details she knew Mia wanted.

"But how does he feel? Towards me?" She said, quieter, taking a sip of her tea to hide her slight blush.

Kia clicked her tongue. "That's cheating, ya know?"

"What's the point of having a empathic twin sister if I can't get some gossip out of her on the rare occasion I get to see her. Come on, please?" She begged, putting her tea aside as well.

"Okay, but just a little bit. You know earlier when I turned my back to enter the ship. You and Aric had a moment. I didn't see it, but I felt it. Just those few seconds made my breathing catch just a little. You both feel the same way and trust me, it's powerful stuff." Kia said, smiling. She enjoyed seeing her sister happy. "I'm happy for you, as long as you can make the whole CO/XO thing work. He definitely feels the same way you do. I think it scares him a little. If I had to guess, I'd say he's never felt like this before."

Mia seemed to visually relax. It made Kia wonder if she honestly was worried the cathar might not feel the same way. It seemed silly, since you didn't need to be an empath to see their mutual attraction.

"Thanks, Kia. I know it's silly to worry about such things, considering we're fighting a war and all, but…"

"But you're still a living, breathing woman and it feels nice to be loved." Kia finished for her. "And no amount of war can change that."

Mia nodded. "You haven't happened to meet anyone nice, too, have you?"

Kia gave her a look of slight exasperation. "Of course not, Mia, and you know that already. I'm a Jedi. The only real attachment I have is you and it'll always be that way. I can't form attachments and it's one rule I actually agree with."

"Not can't, won't." Mia replied. "You're still a living, breath woman too. Being a Jedi can't change that. There's nothing stopping you from falling in love."

Kia looked sad for a moment and Mia almost felt bad of bring it up.

"What's stopping me is my training and how I was raised once I joined the Jedi. I can't afford to fall in love. The path I've chosen to follow can't include it, for my own safety, as well as those around me. The more time I spend as a Jedi, the more I understand and agree with that part of our philosophy." Kia sighed, looking up into Mia's eyes, so much like her own. "It's hard to explain."

"Then I guess I'll feel love for both of us." Mia said, hugging Kia. Kia appreciating the sentiment, but she honestly didn't feel deprived at all. She had friends and colleagues on Coruscant and among the Jedi. That was more than enough for her.

* * *

To Be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

New chapter up. Thanks for reading. :)

* * *

Kia changed into her fighting tunic once they were two hours away from the space station. The tunic was a deep tan and covered most of her body in a breathable, lightweight fabric, which was tight enough to prevent getting tangled, but loose enough to allow full range of motion. Her arms were left bare and the boots she wore with the tunic came up almost to her knees.

She grabbed her stim band from its case and headed towards the medical bay of the ship. Mia's medical officer had expressed interest in seeing her scar and wanted to take some scans. It turned out having a limb reattached after it's nearly severed by a lightsaber was extremely rare and medical researchers found it fascinating. Kia had been fortunate Alderaan had very good doctors, who enjoyed the challenge, otherwise she could easily have a cybernetic arm now, rather than an almost perfectly functional real one.

Sergeant Elara Dorne was in the medical bay, preparing a medical kit to take along on the mission, heaven forbid someone need emergency treatment in the field. She looked up as Kia entered and smiled.

"Ah, Master Jedi. Welcome to the medbay." Elara said cheerfully. Interesting medical procedures had always put her into a good mood.

"Did you want to take a few scans and examine my arm before I put on my stim band?" Kia asked.

"Most definitely!" Elara replied, taking a scanner out of one of the cupboards. "Have a seat."

Kia complied, sitting down on one of the medical tables. Elara examined Kia's arm visually, gently probing the scar.

"Amazing. There's only about an inch of skin not scarred. You really did almost lose the arm, didn't you? It must have taken hours to reattach, what with having to reopen all the cauterized veins and nerve endings. Does it hurt? Did you lose any sensation in your hand?"

"Not really. If I overwork the arm, it tends to go numb. Sometimes I get slight pains before the numbness sets in, but not every time. During normal everyday use, it just feels normal. I have no issues with my hand at all, never did."

Elara began to scan both the formerly injured arm and her uninjured arm, so she could get a baseline to compare. As she scanned, Mia and Aric entered the room.

"Finally indulging Sergeant Dorne's curiosity, I see." Mia said.

"Turns out my former injury is fascinating to medics and medical researchers. I already have a Jedi researcher on Coruscant looking into possible ways to help improve the function of my arm. I figured the least I could do is allow a military researcher a chance to take a look. I've been told on multiple occasions that I'm lucky to have my arm at all. Apparently, most doctors would have considered fixing it a lost cause and just replaced it with a cybernetic prosthesis."

"The doctor who reattached your arm did an amazing job, considering you have so few side effects from the injury." Elara said, transferring her scans into a nearby computer terminal. "I'm assuming you're right handed, like the Major?" She asked.

"I used to be. After the injury, I started learning to fight with two lightsabers, the left being my dominant hand. I had to train my brain to be left handed. In the process, I did everything left handed, to help with the training. It took over a year, but I'm comfortable saying I'm left handed now. Or, I guess I'm ambidextrous, since I can still do stuff with my right hand, but my brain automatically responds on reflex with my left."

"Makes sense." Jorgan replied. "Instead of compensating for a known weakness, you learned how to eliminate the weakness entirely. Fighting left handed to a right handed person would be a weakness. You learned to be left handed, so you removed the weakness from the equation. Smart."

Kia shrugged. "Master Kaedan thought so, though he doubted I'd be able to successfully learn to be fully left handed. I proved him wrong."

"I see you changed into something more form fitting, too." Mia said, eyes her sister's choice in combat wardrobe. "Don't Jedi normally fight in robes?"

Kia rolled her eyes. "I honestly don't see how Jedi, or Sith for that matter, can fight in long robes. I mean, if you're a councilor, and you mainly do distance attacks with the Force, I get it, but if you're like me, relaying on saberwork, I need to be free to move. This is my wardrobe of choice when fighting is likely. It's light and flexible, but can take a glancing blow from a lightsaber or blaster, if need be."

"Can I see your stim band?" Elara asked, ignoring most the the conversation, being too interested in her scans.

Kia handed the band to the medic.

"Pretty standard band. What kind of stim does it use? Chemical or electrical?"

"It's actually a combination of both, to prevent any side effects. There's enough chemical to help arm function but not enough to impact the rest of my body too heavily. There's enough electrical stimulation to also help with function, but not enough to be uncomfortable. The techs on Alderaan worked for weeks to make the band just right for my system."

"That's a lot of effort for a Jedi padawan." Jorgan said.

Kia shrugged. "Doctors on Alderaan like to be challenged and I was a particularly interesting case. Not to mention, I had just helped Republic forces end the evil rampage of an egotistical Sith lord out for revenge on, the then, General Malcom. I managed to kill the Sith with a military utility knife before succumbing to my injuries. Helping with my rehab was the least the nobles of Alderaan could do."

"You knew the supreme commander back then?" Mia asked

"He was the commanding officer of the Republic base when this happened." Kia rubbed her right arm over the scar. "He cared enough to retrieve my knife and made sure I got it back. It was a fairly considerate gesture for a general to do for a young Jedi learner. He was a good man. A good commander. Still is."

Kia jumped down from the table and lifted the right side of her tunic, showing the concealed utility knife. "And I still carry the knife. I used to carry it just for luck, since you gave it to me, but now I also carry it just in case. A Sith will die from a knife to the heart, just as easily as a lightsaber."

Elara finally returned and handed Kia her stim band. "You can have this back. Thank you for allowing me to take a look at your arm. Now I'll have something interesting to study when off duty."

Kia nodded, taking her stim band and placing it on her arm. She didn't turn it on just yet. "Glad I can be of interest. If the Jedi researchers find anything of note, I'll be sure to pass it on to you."

Elara bowed her head. "That's much appreciated. I will do likewise."

Kia sighed. "We're getting close to the space station. I need to prepare."

Mia gave her a confused look.

"If this Darth Novox is indeed on the station, I need to prepare mentally and start shielding myself, so he doesn't feel me coming until we're already onboard. I'd hate for us to get destroyed on approach."

"Will he really be able to sense you coming?" Jorgan asked.

Kia shrugged. "It's possible. It all depends on how powerful he is and how much he's paying attention. It's best not to take any chances."

Kia returned to her quarters to meditate while the members of Havoc did what they usually do to prepare for a mission such as this. Kia hoped the intel was wrong and there were no Sith on the station, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to be that lucky.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

New chapter up. Enjoy!

* * *

Havoc squad landed on the space station without incident, their approach being approved using the codes provided by the SIS.

They managed to clear the hangar bay of personnel with little effort and began to make their way to the key points of the station, where they would plant explosives and dump the data core. The station was relatively small, when compared to some of the more widely used stations in the both the Republic and the Empire, making their small strikeforce more effective. They came across resistance, of course, but it was light, by Havoc Squad standards.

Kia stood with her back to the team, as Vik planted a few explosives in a room which looked like a main server hub. She suddenly felt something, closing her eyes to concentrate. "I'm sensing a Sith, but it's not Darth Novox."

Mia stood next to Kia. "How do you know?"

"This Sith is weaker. He or she is not shielding at all, it's like their connection to the Force is incomplete. It must be Novox's apprentice, if I had to guess."

"Will the apprentice know you're here?" Mia asked, concerned.

"I doubt it. I'm shielding fairly heavily. The Imperials know we're on the station, so it won't take much time for a more powerful Sith to figure out I'm here, but I can't sense him yet."

"Nothing to do but press on and complete the mission. Let me know if anything changes." Mia said, continuing down the hall once the first set of explosives were planted. There was heavier opposition the further they went into the station, but only soldiers, no Force users. Fortunately, Havoc was more than prepared for what they came across.

They made very good progress to their destination, all things considered. Kia kept her senses alert, but didn't need to assist the team in dispatching the opposition. In this situation, guns were proving effective enough. They finally arrived at what their intel was calling the secondary control room, which they needed to pass through in order to get to the main control room. All the explosives were planted, so all they needed to do was dump the data core from the main control room.

They unsealed the door easily enough, but what they found inside wasn't what they were expecting. The room had only two technicians working the control panels, but also in the room were two Sith. One was human, the other a sith pureblood, both male. Kia stood at the front of the team, eyeing the Sith. The human was the Sith she had sensed from the hanger bay, meaning the pureblood had to be Darth Novox, or a Sith equally as powerful. She didn't know for sure, since the Darth's species was not a part of the limited intel the order had on him.

Kia dropped her shielding, it was no longer necessary, and the Sith did the same.

"Well, this is interesting. I was expecting to fend off a few soldiers, but here I find they have a Jedi with them. One powerful enough to shield herself from me. Wonderful. A worthy opponent." Said the sith pureblood. He circled around, so his back was to the wall. The human Sith followed. "I am Darth Novox and you have the unfortunate luck of infiltrating my space station. I'm afraid I can not permit you to proceed any further."

Novox's skin was bright red and he had relatively few fleshy tendrils on his face compared to others of his species Kia had met, his eyebrows and chin regions being only slightly elongated. His eyes were a piercing yellow, accented by the black robes he wore. He was impressively calm.

"My name is Jedi Knight Kia Wryn. Please surrender. There is no need for violence."

By this time, the two technicians who had been in the room had slipped out, leaving Havoc and Kia alone with the two Sith.

"Go, Major." Kia said, keeping her eye on the Sith. "Complete your mission."

Mia said nothing, simply nodded and led her team through the room and out the door on the opposite side where the technicians had exited. She knew this was the exact reason Kia had come along on the mission, so she felt no regrets leaving her sister behind to deal with the two Sith alone.

"We can't let them go!" The human Sith said, turning to go after Havoc.

"Calm yourself, apprentice. The guards in and around the control room will handle them. This Jedi is our concern."

Kia dug deep down and concentrated on Novox, trying to work past her gift to read him. She felt an eagerness to fight, but not out of anger or desire to kill. He wanted the challenge. She could also feel some conflict. Kia debated with herself for a few seconds, then decided to take a chance.

"Do you know what you're protecting?" She asked, circling to keep the Sith in front of her and to keep herself between him and her team.

"Of course." Novox replied, a curious tone in this voice.

"You're a sith pureblood. I'm surprised you'd go along with the concept of mass murder."

The Sith sneered. "You know nothing of my kind, Jedi. Your kind knows nothing but death."

Kia didn't reach for her lightsabers. Not yet.

"I know your kind have a sense of honor and tradition. You value fair combat and true challenges against worthy opponents. You know killing millions of people, an entire planet at a time, is wrong. I can feel your conflict with using the bioweapon. You are an honorable warrior. Killing the helpless is beneath you."

The Sith remained silent for a moment and Kia waited patiently for a reply. If this was going to work, she needed to bide her time and think carefully about her words. She could not rush. She focused on keeping her heartbeat steady and her words calm.

"I cannot allow it to fall into the hands of the Jedi. You'll use it without thinking twice."

Kia took a deep breath, opening her mind to the Sith. Allowing him to easily look into her mind. She needed him, not to trust, but to believe what she said next.

"You've been misinformed. The Jedi would gladly stop killing if it meant a genuine peace. We would never use such a weapon. You've been lied to, Lord Sith."

The Sith paused for a moment, considering her words, but then ignited his lightsaber. "Enough talk." He turned to the human beside him. "Tolon, you will not interfere in this fight."

"But Master!" The human objected.

"You will not interfere!" Novox repeated, then jumped at Kia.

Kia sensed his move before he made it and got her own weapons out with plenty of time to block the attack. She instantly went into a defensive form, just has Master Gnost-Dural had shown her during her training.

Unlike the confrontation on Alderaan which almost cost her an arm, Kia could sense this was a fight she could win. Novox was powerful, but so was she. She had mastered her craft over the years and now had the confidence and experience to easily match the Sith move for move. She moved into an offensive form when openings became apparent, but still remained defensive enough to protect herself. She allowed the Force to guide her actions and her decisions. She used it to supplement her strength and endurance.

They leap and juggled for position, trailing the fight all over the room, neither really getting any kind of momentum over the other. Kia could live with that. She'd learned how to recharge herself with the Force. She could fight for hours without tiring significantly, particularly when facing only one opponent.

"You're powerful, Jedi." Novox said, pausing to circle her again.

"As are you." Kia replied, circling with him. She kept her eyes locked on Novox, but never forgot to be mindful of Tolon, who had remained unmoving since ordered to do so.

"We don't need to fight. My team and I are not here to steal the bioweapon. We're here to destroy it. A weapon that terrible can not be allowed to exist. Deep down, you agree with me. Everything you've been told about the Jedi is a lie. Our code alines with your beliefs far more closely that the Sith code. You can sense the truth in my words. You don't need to live like this. There is another way." Kia said, preparing for another attack, but the Sith paused.

"Kill her, Master!" Tolon yelled from the side. Kia could sense his irritation with all the talk.

"You will be silent, Tolon, or I will kill you myself."

Tolon looked taken aback, but remained where he was. He seemed to be almost vibrating, though. He wanted to fight, but his motives were much less pure than his master's. Fortunately, his fear for his master's anger was keeping him at bay, for the moment.

Novox seemed to be thinking very hard about what Kia had said. Kia continued to leave her mind open and not hide any of her feelings.

After several minutes Kia heard a growl from the apprentice.

"Enough of this. You die now, Jedi!" Tolon yelled, leaping at her.

Kia turned to deflect the attack and to her surprise, Novox didn't try to take advantage of the distraction. In fact, he took several steps back and took a relaxed position. Kia continued to fight the apprentice, but kept half her mind on Novox, waiting for him to strike.

Tolon had no real skills with a lightsaber. He fought as if he wielded a sword. He was using none of his Force abilities in his technique, opting to use raw physical power to overwhelm Kia. The technique was never going to work.

Kia blocked his attack for only a few moments before landing a blow to his leg. Enough to wound the Sith, but not to cut off the leg. The Sith growled in pain, clasping the wound.

"Stop your attack, Sith. I don't want to kill you." She said, mindful of the fact that Novox hadn't even flinched when she landed the wounding blow. The Sith watched closely, but showed no emotions.

"But I want to kill you!" Tolon replied, leaping at her again. This time, Kia didn't try to deflect his leap, merely positioning herself so she was able to land a blow right through the young Sith's heart. He crumbled to the ground and didn't move. Kia then turned quickly, expecting an attack from Novox. Instead, the Sith continued to stand by the far wall, examining Kia.

"I did not wish to kill him." Kia said.

Novox seemed to think about her comment for a few moments, then nodded. "I know. He left you no choice. You needed to end the exchange quickly and my apprentice would not have surrendered. You had no way of knowing if I'd rush in and take advantage. You had no way of confirming what you think you know about my kind is indeed true."

Kia shrugged. "I can assume not all your kind feel the same way and still have the old traditions. I was simply hoping you did."

Suddenly, the far door opened and Havoc squad emerged. They all pointed their weapons at the Darth.

"Hold your fire!" Kia said, not looking to make sure they did as she said. He kept her eyes on Novox. "Just hold your fire."

The team seemed to sense Kia was at a make or break moment, so they froze. They kept their weapons up, but did not fire.

"Your words intrigue me, Jedi." He took a step forward, shutting down his lightsaber. "I will surrender to you, Jedi Knight Kia Wryn. Take me to your council. Show me the truth in your words. We will see if you are indeed as you appear to be or are simply very good at deception." Novox flipped the weapon so the hilt was facing Kia, holding it out to her. Kia shut down her weapons, attaching one to her belt so she could take the offered weapon.

"4X, Vik, take the Sith into custody." The Major ordered. "Be respectful. He surrendered peacefully."

Once Novox was in custody and they started to head back to the ship, Kia let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding.

"Ready to get out of here, Ki? This place is going to be nothing but dust in a matter of minutes." Mia asked.

Kia nodded, following in step behind her sister until they made it back to the ship. She replaced her second weapon on her belt, but kept the Sith's blade in her hand, still slightly shocked that her attempts to capture it peacefully had worked.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Cute little short chapter for ya. :)

* * *

Mia stood in front of the holoterminal on her ship, waiting for General Garza to answer. This was one of the most satisfying things the Major got to do after a mission, inform her superiors about their success. This call was going to be particularly satisfying.

"Ah, Major. Please report." General Garza said, her holo image flickering slightly.

"Actually, General, I need to wait for the Jedi council to join the call before I proceed. The mission took an interesting turn and I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone."

Before the general could reply, an image of Grandmaster Satele Shan appeared next to the general.

"Greetings Master Jedi." Mia said, bowing her head.

"We hear you loud and clear, Major. Please proceed." She replied.

"The mission to destroy the bioweapon being manufactured by the Imperials was a success. We dumped the main computer core for the SIS and the station and bioweapon itself is destroyed." Mia turned her attention to Master Satele. "There were two Sith on the station. Darth Novox and his apprentice. Knight Wryn confronted both of them. The apprentice is dead, but the Darth is currently in my brig."

"You managed to capture Darth Novox?" Master Satele asked, sounding surprised. It was rare to capture a Sith, particularly a Darth. More often than not, they would go out fighting. Capturing one alive never happened.

"Actually, we didn't capture him, he surrendered to Knight Wryn. She talked him down. I think she managed to convince him to switch sides. She'd be here to tell you herself, but she wishes to stay with the prisoner. We're already on our way to Tython, per her wishes."

"Remarkable." Satele said, thinking. "I"ll have sentinels waiting to meet you when you arrive. Knight Wryn knows the protocols."

"We should be there in about a day." Mia replied.

"Keep me updated, Major." The general said. "Take whatever time you need to ensure the Sith is delivered to the Jedi safely."

"Understood, General."

"Be careful transporting the Sith. Even captured, he could still be a threat." Satele warned.

"Of course." Mia replied.

The holo went dead and Mia took a deep, calming breath.

* * *

Aric stood outside the brig, watching as Mia and Kia spoke. The Sith had barely moved since they put him in the cell. Actually, until Mia arrived, Kia hadn't moved much either. It was like they were both doing silent vigils.

Mia finally nodded and left the brig, closing the door behind her and locking it from the outside, which was standard procedure when transporting an enemy Force user.

"Well, she plans to stay in there with him until we arrive on Tython. I know better than to try to change her mind." Mia said to Aric as they walked towards the common area. "I don't think she trusts him, not completely, anyway."

Jorgan scoffed. "Of course she doesn't trust him. He's a Sith."

"True, but Jedi can be funny about stuff like that. I don't think she'll fully relax until we get to Tython, though. I'm still shocked he surrendered. I was always under the impression that it was difficult to turn a Sith to the lightside of the Force."

They both sat at a small table in the common area usually used for playing cards.

"We didn't see what she did to convince him. It might have been difficult and your sister is a powerful Jedi. She wouldn't have gone on this mission with us if she weren't strong enough for the task."

"True." Mia said, nodding. "Still, I'll feel much better once the Sith is off our ship and surrounded by Jedi."

"Likewise." Aric agreed.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	16. Chapter 16

New chapter up. Thanks soooo very much for reading.

* * *

Major Wryn and Captain Jorgan stood by the ramp as eight Jedi sentinels took Darth Novox into custody. Mia had to admit, she was impressed by the level of security the Jedi were showing.

Kia walked with him, pausing the tell him something before allowing the sentinels to escort the prisoner into the temple.

Kia joined them by the ramp, exhaling deeply, seeming to relax. All the tension the Jedi had been holding since they first escaped the doomed space station seemed to melt away.

"Wow, Ki. I've never seen you wound so tight." Mia said, obviously noticing Kia relax once her charge was taken away.

"I had to be cautious, Mia. Novox is a Dark Lord of the Sith, even if he surrendered to us. I couldn't take the chance he would try something on the way here. I was fairly certain he was being genuine, but even a Jedi's sense in the Force can be incorrect. I didn't want a rogue Sith lord laying waste to your ship."

"That is much appreciated." Mia replied. "What happens next? The Grandmaster seemed to imply there was a procedure for this sorta thing."

Kia nodded. "Novox will be taken to the council, who will evaluate his intentions. Even the most powerful Sith would be unable to completely fool the entire council. If he's being honest, they will assign him several masters to oversee his transition from a Sith lord to a Jedi padawan."

"So, I'm guessing you'll be flying home with us?" Mia asked.

"The council will want to talk with me once they evaluate Novox. I might need to stick around for a day or two. Can you stay that long? I'm sure Garza is eager to get you back."

"The general understands the situation. Havoc has been given permission to stay on Tython for a few extra days while this whole Sith prisoner exchange goes down." Mia said.

"Besides, 4X took some damage during the mission. We'll be able to make repairs while we wait." Jorgan added.

"Sounds like a plan. I should probably head into the temple." Kia said, turning to leave.

"Kia…" Mia ran up to her, pulling her into a hug. "You did good." She said quietly.

Kia beamed at her sister. "Thanks, Mi."

* * *

Kia headed outside the front of the temple, enjoying the sunny day. She had always loved Tython. It was beautiful and wild, yet the Force was attuned to the light almost perfectly. Coruscant had its charms, but Tython was quiet. There were only a small handful of non-Force users within the vicinity of the temple, so Kia was able to enjoy the literal peace of the area. Truth be told, she missed Tython, but her job on Coruscant was too important. She was needed there.

Kia sat next to the training field, watching as padawans fought training dummies. She could remember when that was her, doing her best to disarm the dummy using only a training saber and the Force. So much had happened since then, though it could have been yesterday.

About an hour later, Kia was approached by a young padawan. The miraluka couldn't have been more than fifteen, with short blonde hair and a red mask over where her eyes would have been, if she were human. She seemed very excited to have found Kia.

"You're Knight Wryn, right?" She asked tentatively.

"I am." Kia replied, standing. She brushed a few stray leaves from her pants.

"I was sent to find you. The council wishes to speak with you."

The miraluka bowed to Kia, then ran off, obviously in a hurry to get back to some task assigned to her. It made Kia wonder which of the council members was her master. Not all members took padawans, since they were often needed elsewhere and it made training a padawan difficult, but a few still took up the charge.

Gnost-Dural, her old master, was not a member of the council while Kia was a padawan, having been granted a seat shortly after Kia's promotion to Knight, but as far as she knew, he still had at least one active padawan. The Kel Dor always did like being a teacher and he was good at it, though she might have been biased.

In fact, it was the knowledge she had gained while in his charge that allowed her to guide Darth Novox over to the light. She'd have to find time to thank him before she left to return to Coruscant.

The council chambers were exactly as she remembered them the day she had been given the assignment on Coruscant. There were only three master seated at the table, with four more holo images in a few of the other seats. The three masters present were Grandmaster Satele Shan, Master Gnost-Dural and Master Jaric Kaedan. They all stood when Kia approached.

"Welcome home, Kia." Master Satele greeted warmly.

Kia bowed and the Masters bowed back.

"You did well bringing Lord Novox to the light." Satele said. "His desire to join us is genuine."

"When I saw he was a pureblood, I remembered everything Gnost-Dural told me about their traditions and beliefs. I asked him how he could get behind killing millions of innocent people. I could feel his conflict. I felt I had a chance to get through to him, so I took the risk. I'm very pleased it paid off, though I do regret being forced to kill his apprentice."

"It takes a considerable mastery of the Force to convince a Sith to turn to the light. Even more so with a Sith as fully entrenched as a Darth." Jaric added. "Once they get that far down the path, there is usually very little we can do for them besides dueling them to the death."

"And with your sense of fellow Force users being dulled by your gift." Gnost-Dural said. "Most impressive."

"This achievement notwithstanding, your work as of late has been on a caliber much higher than most Jedi Knights. You have succeeded in every assignment and task given to you, usually going above and beyond, being the eyes and ears of this council on Coruscant. Your dedication to helping others and keeping the peace between the different factions of the Republic has saved countless lives." Satele said, standing and approached Kia. "For this reason, it's the council's decision to bestow upon you the rank of Master."

Kia's mouth dropped open. When she was asked to speak with the council, she figured they'd want to know how she managed to convince Darth Novox to switch sides. It was standard procedure to share methods. She never thought it would earn her a higher rank amongst the Jedi. A rank that was usually not achieved in one's twenties and was reserved for only the most powerful.

"I'm honored you think I'm ready." Kia said, trying her best to think straight. "I will do everything I can to live up to the standards of a Jedi Master."

"We know you will. You've earned this, Kia. And if I might make a request of you."

Kia bowed her head. "Anything, Master Satele."

"As a master, you have the option of returning to Tython to take a padawan. Though I do encourage you to do this at some point, for the moment, we wish for you to continue working on Coruscant with the other leaders of the Republic. Your presence there has been one of the best decisions this council has made in a long time. Your work there is very important for our relationship with the Republic and you've been doing it well."

Kia thought about it for a moment. She really didn't want to take on a padawan, at least not yet. She was young, only 26, and still felt like there was more for her to learn, before she tried to guide someone else. Besides, she was enjoying her role on Coruscant. She'd only been there for a year and wished to continue on the path.

"I will do as you ask and return to Coruscant. I feel like my time there is not over."

"Thank you, Master Wryn." Satele said, using Kia's new title. It sounded odd to her. It would take some getting used to. "I hear Havoc Squad is still on Tython."

"Yes. They're making some needed repairs while they wait for me to return to Coruscant. I think they're enjoying the respite."

Satele nodded. "I can understand that. Take all the time you want before returning. Their secret will be safe with me."

"Walk with me, Kia." Gnost-Dural said, nodding to Satele. They walked out of the chambers and down to the lower level of the temple. "You did well with Darth Novox, but I have concerns. Is everything alright with you?"

Kia stopped walking and looked at her old master. "Yes, I'm fine. What concerns do you have?"

Gnost-Dural sighed. "I've sensed a disturbance through the Force. You'll be faced with great conflict, but I have no idea what kind of conflict or when."

Kia thought back to her time on Coruscant. "I haven't had anything unusual happen since I started working on Coruscant. Some of the missions have been difficult, but nothing that would cause tremors in the Force. I had to curb the advances of an SIS agent after my last mission. He got a little too attached to me, but there wasn't anything conflicting about it."

"Than what I see must be a possible future event. I do hate to worry you, but…"

Kia smiled at the Kel Dor. "I trust you, master. If you say you see great conflict in my life sometime in the future, then I am grateful for the insight and I'll be mindful."

Gnost-Dural nodded. "I'm very proud of you, Kia."

"That means a great deal coming from you."

Gnost-Dural bowed his head. "Then I leave you to return to your ship. May the Force be with you, Kia."

Kia bowed her head in return. Gnost Dural headed back toward the council chambers and Kia headed out to the docking bay. As she walked she thought about what her old master had said. If he was concerned about her, she'd need to be extra vigilant.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	17. Chapter 17

New chapter is up! Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia stood out on a ledge, looking out over the expanse to the top of the opposite bank, where her sister and Aric Jorgan were talking quietly. They were far enough away to be sure Mia couldn't see her, though she guessed the Aric probably could, if he looked in her direction. Cathars had very sharp vision, not to mention, he was a trained sniper. He was trained to notice things.

They had been on Tython for two days and were scheduled to leave in a few hours to return to Coruscant. They could have returned the same day they delivered the Sith, but Kia thought Havoc could use a little R&R without worry they would be interrupted, so she told them she needed a day or two to wrap up business. Not to mention total security was something her sister and her team very rarely got to experience. At the moment, they weren't on a mission and were surrounded by hundreds of Jedi and Jedi potentials. None of them had probably ever been safer. This gave them an opportunity to truly relax.

She could sense someone approaching and turned to find Master Kiwiiks joining her on the ledge.

"I hear you're going back to Coruscant today." She said casually, looking out over the expanse.

Kia nodded. "Yes. I'm just waiting for my sister and the captain to return to the temple. They wanted to take a walk. I think Aric is going to ask Mia to marry him."

"I've seen Havoc squad in action. I had no idea they were involved."

Kia smiled at her fellow master. "They're good at hiding it. I don't think the military has any rule against officers having personal relationships with other officers in one command, but even if they did, they're Havoc. They could probably get away with bending the rules. Regardless, I'm happy for them."

"Does it make you reconsider your path?" She asked, looking at Kia. She gave her a worried look. The togruta was, by far, one of the most gentle and caring Jedi on Tython and was very sensitive to the emotions of others even if she couldn't feel them as acutely as Kia.

Kia sighed. "No. I made my choice the day I decided to officially train to become a Jedi. I knew what I was getting into, even as a youth, and I don't regret my decision now. I somehow always knew I would lead a less than normal life. It's just nice to know that Mia will get the chance at normal. Well, as normal as a soldier can get, anyway."

Kia could feel Jorgan's nervousness, then a sudden spike of happiness from both of them. Kia chucked. "I think she said yes."

The two masters remained quiet for a few moments.

"I did come up here for a reason. Our newest padawan wishes to see you before you leave." Kiwiiks said, still looking over at the soldiers. "You made quite an impression on him."

Kia nodded. "I'll go now. It won't be long before they return to the temple. I'm happy you decided to help with Novox's training. He'll make a good Jedi, I think."

"I agree. I can feel his potential. I'll be sure to keep you apprised of his progress."

"I thank you, Bela." Kia smiled widely. "It's still odd to think of all of my former teachers as fellow masters. I don't know if I'll ever get used to calling any of you by your first names."

Kiwiiks placed a hand on Kia's shoulder. "You'll get used to it, my friend."

With a final look over at her sister, who was not kissing her XO, Kia headed back to the temple to talk with Novox. They deserved full privacy, anyway.

* * *

Kia walked into the communal meditation room of the temple to find Novox alone, kneeling on a small mat. Two masters were standing just outside the door, keeping tabs on the former Sith.

Novox was deep in meditation, a faint glow surrounding him. He must have felt Kia's presence, since he stopped his meditation and stood up to greet her as she entered the room.

"I see Master Kiwiiks managed to find you before you left." He said, there was a lightness in the tone of his voice. Kia could almost see a lightness in him, just in how he held himself.

"She told me you wished to speak, Lord Novox."

Novox smiled, shaking his head. "My name is Zorric. Novox was the name given to me by the dark council when I was granted the title of Darth. It no longer applies to me." He placed his hands behind his back and paced back and forth a few steps. "I wanted to thank you again for helping me see the light. It's hard to discover you've been lied to your entire life."

"I would imagine, but you know the truth now and you have a chance at a new life. You'll never be able to erase what you did in your past, but you will now have a direct say as to what you do with your future."

Zorric nodded. "Indeed. This will not be an easy path I'm choosing to follow, but I think it will be a rewarding one. I have much to atone for, but if I get nothing else, I will finally know peace."

"May the Force be with you, my friend. And remember, if you need anything, ever, just let me know."

Zorric smiled at Kia, then returned to his mat to continue his meditation. Kia left, not caring about her new position with the Jedi. She may have become a master, but the greater accomplishment was to help a wayward soul find peace. It was a good day.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	18. Chapter 18

New chapter up. Enjoy.

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Kia walked through the halls of the senate tower, heading to her office. She had just said her goodbyes to her sister at the entrance to the military wing of the tower, making arrangements to go to dinner, if Havoc wasn't required to head back out immediately. She decided to drop her journal off at her office before heading to her apartment to get some rest before dinner.

The journal in Kia's hands was leather bound, filled with her delicate handwriting. There was really no need to make paper records anymore, with everything being recorded digitally, but Kia liked the motions of manual documentation. She found the process therapeutic and had decided to make a journal of every mission she participated in, so if anything happened to her, someone would find her journals and be able to read what she really thought about each mission, not only the official stuff.

The tower was relatively empty this time of day and the halls were quiet, her footsteps making a slight echo through the tower. Most people working in the tower had probably already gone home for the day or were out for their evening meal, before returning to work. While the senators kept normal hours, long hours were normal for the military and the SIS.

Kia stopped outside her office door, sensing someone inside. The presence wasn't malicious, so she didn't hesitate to enter.

Sitting behind her desk was Supreme Commander Malcom. He was reading a datapad, as if he belonged there. He looked up as she entered, smiling.

"Are you hiding from someone Commander?" Kia asked, walking by him casually, placing her journal next to all the others on the shelf in the back corner. She once hid in his office, so turnabout's fair play, though it seemed odd he would be hiding from someone.

Malcom put his datapad down and turned to face her. "No, I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you on your mission, Master Jedi." He emphasized the word 'Master'.

Kia rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to be able to correct someone on that again."

Malcom grinned. "Not now that the title's accurate."

Kia sighed, taking a seat in one of the chairs across from her desk. "I guess I'll just need to get used to it."

Malcom straightened up, placing his hands folded on the desk. "With all seriousness, congratulations on bringing in the Sith. It couldn't have been easy. I think you earned the new title."

"Thank you, Commander. I'm not sure if I'm ready for it, but the council seemed to think I am. I trust their judgement. I'll do my best to live up to their expectations."

"I'm confident you will." He stood, stretching. He hesitated slightly, but only for a moment, before speaking again. He seemed almost nervous about something. "Why don't we go out to dinner and celebrate. I know Jedi don't usually celebrate such things, but being made a Master is worth celebrating in my book."

'I'd love to Commander, but I already made plans with my sister, once she'd done with General Garza."

As if on cue, Kia's holo began to beep with an incoming call. She pulled it out and Mia appeared. "Hi Ki, I'm sorry, but I'll need to take a raincheck on our dinner date. The general has us leaving immediately for our next mission."

"Not a problem. I kinda figured you were lucky to get the extra couple of days on Tython, let alone more time here. You just be safe, huh?"

"You know I will. You take care of yourself too. Don't let that new title go to your head."

"May the Force be with you." Kia said. Mia saluted her and the holo shutdown.

"Well Commander, it looks like I can take you up on your offer." She said, turning to face him. She could tell he was extremely happy with the outcome of the situation, but Kia wasn't sure why. His emotions felt restricted, almost hidden. He was taking extra measures to shield his emotions from her.

Malcom walked around the desk. "Great. Do you want to go now, or do you need to go back to your apartment first?"

Kia shrugged. "I'm ready now, if you are."

They left the senate tower, heading towards the speeder pad in a comfortable silence. This wasn't the first time they had dined together, since on the occasions when their jobs crossed paths, they often were forced to work into the night and late night meals weren't uncommon. Kia was curious, though. The Commander's emotions were off tonight. Usually, he never tried to hide what he was feeling, but tonight, he was doing his best to block her.

They headed to their usual dinner spot, a restaurant/bar in the market district. Both Malcom and Kia were known there, so no one paid them any mind when they entered. They sat across from each other at a table near the back and chatted lightly while they ate. Kia found the Commander quite amusing when he wasn't in work mode.

About two hours later, they were walking down the hall to her apartment. For some reason, the commander insisted on walking Kia to her door. This was an odd gesture, since he had never made the offer before.

"You do know I can make it home alone, Commander. You didn't need to walk me to my door." Kia said as they got off the lift at her floor. "I'm a well known Jedi around here. A mugger would be foolish to attack me. I'd sense him coming."

Malcom chuckled. He really did have a nice laugh, on the rare opportunity he got to us it. "I'm just being gentlemanly. And please, we're not on the clock. You can call me Jace."

By then, they had made it to her door. She turned and looked at Malcom critically. They had been working together off and on for over a year now and this was the first time he had asked her to call him by his first name. Not to mention, his emotions had been bouncing around quite a bit since they started dinner. Kia had an idea as to what all of it meant, but she waited until they were totally alone to ask. There was no way she was reading the commander right.

"Okay. Will you answer a question for me?" She asked.

Malcom shrugged. "Of course."

"Your emotions are very...confusing tonight. It almost feels like you've been trying to hide things from me. Was this dinner meant to be an actual date?" She asked. She figured there was no reason to beat around the bush. Malcom had always been the type who liked directness. Kia could feel slight embarrassment from the commander, along with a jumble of other emotions. His efforts to hide them from her slipping slightly.

"I guess that's up to you. I was hoping it could be. I know I'm putting you in an awkward position, what with you being a Jedi and considering the age difference, but I figured it was worth a shot. If you're not interested, you're not interested. Things can continue as they always have." He took a step towards Kia and she didn't step back. "But know, you are a remarkable woman. You're powerful and strong, but still manage to be funny and lighthearted, which is odd for a member of your order. I can't help the way I feel." He stopped trying to hide his emotions from her. "I've felt this way for awhile now."

Kia was doing her best to breath, since feeling his raw emotions felt like she had just been slugged in the gut. She honestly thought she had been reading him wrong. It startled her to find out she was right. What was she going to say? This was the first time she had been approached in this manner by someone she knew well. Someone she'd call a friend. This wasn't just simple flirtation.

She knew she shouldn't accept his advances, that she should give him the standard answer of 'Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments' and leave it at that, but Kia just couldn't do it. She didn't want to say no, but saying yes was terribly complicated.

Unfortunately, she couldn't leave him hanging like this. She needed to think, so she did the only thing she could think to do. She walked up to Malcom, placed her hands on his chest for support as she stood on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. She had never really registered how much taller he was, standing several inches above her. "Goodnight, Jace. I had a wonderful time. Maybe, we can do it again, soon."

Kia turned, not waiting for a response, and went into her apartment.

Malcom stood outside her door, stunned. He had taken the risk and told Kia how he felt about her. After what happened with Satele, he should have known better than to chase after another Jedi. Particularly a much younger Jedi. She was younger than Theron, for crying out loud, but he still took the chance. He often found women attractive, but he very rarely generated feelings for them. He was a perpetual bachelor.

Kia hadn't said yes, exactly, but she hadn't say no, either. He had been waiting for the 'I'm a Jedi' line. Satele had used it enough when they were together. Kia didn't use the line or any variation of it. She said she wanted to do this again. That implied she was interested.

With a slight smile and deep breath, Malcom headed back towards the lift, the memory of Kia's lips on his cheek still running through his mind.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	19. Chapter 19

New chapter up. Many thanks for reading!

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Kia was headed to the Supreme Commander's office for a meeting with representatives of both the SIS and the military. Something big was happening and, as always, it was up to her to represent the Jedi council on the matter. She was a half hour early for the meeting, wanting to speak with Jace alone before others arrived.

Since the first semi awkward admission of attraction by Jace two months earlier, they had been out on a dozen dates. They varied the location of the dates, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to themselves, since technically, Kia was breaking the Jedi code by even accepting Malcom's advances. Oddly, Kia didn't care that she was going against the code. She was already living on the outermost fringes of the code anyway, considering her focus on emotions.

Kia once agreed with the Jedi code about attachments, but she really liked Jace. He was easy to be around, their conversations coming effortlessly, even with the age gap causing a gap in life experiences. Every evening, he would walk her to her door, regardless of if they were on a date or not, and the kiss they shared before parting was continuously getting longer and longer. Kia found she really liked kissing Jace and was thankful she had a private hallway to her apartment, with no windows.

The Commander's assistant smiled kindly as Kia. "You're early, Master Jedi, but the Commander said it's okay to wait in his office. You can go right in."

The door opened and Jace looked up from the monitor on his desk, smiling. Kia found her heart sped up when he smiled at her like that. Even with the scars interrupting its perfection, the smile underneath it all was stunning.

"Good Morning, Master Jedi." He said, using the usual formality while the door was still open.

"Same to you, Commander. I hope you don't might me showing up early." She replied, keeping up the act until the door was completely closed. Once the door was closed, Jace stood, walking around his desk, kissed Kia quickly on the lips, then wrapped her into a hug. Kia returned the hug, loving how she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms. "Is it bad I came early, just so I could get a hug and kiss before other people show up?"

Jace laughed. "I don't mind. I was actually hoping you'd show up early. I think you read my mind."

They stepped apart, Jace leaning against his desk.

Kia took a seat in the chair on the far right of his desk. "How about you come to my apartment for dinner tonight? I'll cook. It would give us a chance to talk privately, without needing to look over our shoulders. We won't need to censor our actions." She asked.

"You know how to cook?" Jace asked.

"Most Jedi know how, we just don't have many opportunities to hold dinner parties. I'm done for the day around five."

"I'm busy until six, but I'll be over after my last meeting." Jace replied, secretly happy Kia was asking to spend some truly alone time together. There were things in his past she needed to know about before their relationship went any further. She needed to know about Satele and Theron, but it wasn't a conversation to be had in public, since he had no idea how Kia would react.

"Perfect. It'll give me a chance to start dinner before you arrive."

Jace walked back around his desk, taking a seat. "Do you want me to bring anything?"

"Just your stunning self." Kia replied, grinning. Flirting with Jace was quickly becoming one of her favorite pastimes, once she learned how. Flirting wasn't exactly something they taught at the academy. She had to be careful to only do it when they were alone.

Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened again and Director Trant and two other men walked in, one of them obviously military, judging by his appearance. The other man was dressed more casually. Kia could only guess he was with the SIS.

"Perfect, we're all here. Let's get started." Jace said.

"Ah, Master Wryn, it's nice to see you again." Trant greeted Kia. She stood, bowing slightly.

"Likewise, Director. It's been a few months since my last mission with the SIS."

Jace also stood, motioning to the military man "Master Kia Wryn, this is Colonel Rian Darok, he'll be leading the military efforts on this mission" He then motioned to the man next to him. Kia could feel Jace's emotions change significantly. He held affection for the man. "And this is Agent Theron Shan. He'll be representing the SIS." He then turned to Kia. "Master Wryn represents the Jedi council."

Kia bowed to both of them. "It's nice to meet both of you. Agent Shan, I was Master Gnost-Dural's padawan. He speaks very highly and very fondly of you."

The comment made Agent Shan smile. "The feeling is mutual. How is Gnost-Dural these days?"

"Still spends most of his time studying the Sith, when he's not away on council business. He's doing well. I'll let him know you asked, the next time we speak."

"Okay, now that introductions are done, down to business." Jace said, taking a seat and everyone else followed suit. "We're here to plan the most ambitious and potentially significant offensive since we took down the Ascendant Spear. We're planning to take Korriban."

Kia's eyes opened wide. "The Sith academy?"

"You got it." Agent Shan replied. "For the first time, we feel we have what we need to make a successful run on the Sith. It's going to be difficult, of course, and we'll need the full support of the Jedi, but it's the best chance we've ever gotten on this objective."

Kia sat quietly for a moment, thinking. "I'll need to speak with the council, but taking Korriban sounds like something they'd agree on. What's our timetable?"

"Just over a month to plan, if we're lucky. Just under a month, if we're not." Darok replied.

Kia was getting an odd sense from the colonel. She felt almost nothing from him. It wasn't like sensing a fellow Force user and it wasn't like Malcom, who was skilled at keeping his emotions in check. This was different. Darok was almost too calm. Not knowing him, Kia couldn't tell if this was normal for the soldier or not. She decided not to mention it, but still keep closer tabs on him.

"So, I have time to assemble the entire council. We'll need everyone onboard for this. It should only take a day, maybe two." Kia said.

"That'll be fine, Master Wryn. We have some time." The Director replied. "We'll want everyone on the same page before we attempt the assault and we're still pulling together all the details and resources."

"Perfect." Malcom said, clapping his hands together. "Once we get the council onboard, we start planning. I'll contact everyone with a time and place, once Master Wryn speaks with the council."

Everyone stood to leave, but Theron seemed to hesitate. Kia sensed some tension between him and Malcom. Taking the hint, Kia turned to Malcom. "I'll speak with you later, Commander."

Malcom nodded. "Of course, Master Jedi."

Kia left with Trant and Darok, leaving the Agent to talk with Malcom. She sensed there was something going on with them, but she figured it was none of her business, unless Jace wanted to make it her business.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	20. Chapter 20

New Chapter up. Thanks to everyone reading and special thanks to all who take the time to review. :)

* * *

Malcom's conversation with Theron had been much like most of their conversations, short and to the point. He was trying, they both were, but it was difficult to build a relationship with a son who had little interest in having any kind of relationship with his biological father. Malcom was still furious at Satele for keeping Theron a secret from him. He had a right to know his own son and Theron had a right to know his biological father.

Things were going to get more complicated now, with Kia in his life. He must be a glutton for punishment, going after another Jedi. Another Jedi who is younger than his son, but Malcom couldn't get beyond how he felt. The only other woman he had felt anything like this for had been Satele. He just hoped the relationship wouldn't end the same way.

He chose to be optimistic, since Kia's attitude towards the relationship had been nothing but positive. Not once did she mention being a Jedi or fearing what being with him might mean. She was being surprisingly normal about all of it. Satele had always had a certain reluctance and doubt.

The remainder of Malcom's day went by fairly slowly. Although he was busy and he would never allow his personal life to interfere with his work, now that he had one, he still kept thinking about what the evening would hold. He had decided to take advantage of the privacy and tell Kia everything about Satele and Theron. If whatever this was with her had any hope, she needed to know about his past. He doubted she'd care that he had baggage. At fifty four, everyone has some, but his included an affair with the grandmaster of her order and a son who was five years her senior.

Around six fifteen, Malcom finished up his meeting with Director Trant. He took a bottle of Alderaanian Red from his office supply and headed to Kia's apartment.

Malcom had fought in more battles than he could count, led hundreds of the Republic's finest soldiers, on dozens of worlds, and yet, he was nervous just walking to his girlfriend's apartment. It sounded odd to him still, having a girlfriend. It didn't seem like something you did at fifty four. At his age you were already married and had kids, possibly grandkids. Instead, he was off to see his twenty six year old girlfriend.

He almost felt bad about approaching her with his feelings. It helped knowing she was a Jedi and she hadn't been out looking for a spouse, so being with him didn't mean she was missing out on a relationship with someone her own age, though she was breaking her Jedi code. If it didn't bother her, Malcom sure as hell wasn't going to allow it to bother him. She may be young, but she was old enough to understand the choice she made in allowing him to pursue her.

By the time he got to Kia's apartment, he had fully collected himself. He knocked and promptly heard a come in, as the door opened. Kia was in the kitchen, supposedly opening the door using the Force. A big smile formed on her face when she looked up at him. She was wearing a light green dress made of some kind of flowing fabric and her hair was pinned up and out of her way. She was absolutely ravishing.

Kia came round the counter and gave Malcom a kiss on the cheek. He handed her the bottle of wine. "You look beautiful."

Kia smiled even more broadly. "Why, thank you Jace. I thought I'd wear something a little more appropriate for the occasion. Besides, it's nice to get out of the Jedi garb, once in awhile. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not a Jedi right now." She seemed to think about her statement for a minute, then shrugged. "At least not an active Jedi."

"I admit, I was a little worried about how being a Jedi would affect things."

Kia put the wine down on the counter and placed a gentle hand on Jace's arm, much like she had done to calm him on Alderaan when they first met. "My status as a Jedi has no bearing on this relationship or how I feel about you. Yes, I'm going against the Jedi code, but I don't care. I used to firmly believe in the rule about attachments, but since I started seeing you, my views have changed slightly. Now I believe I can be a good Jedi and still be with you."

Jace's spirit lightened and he could tell Kia could feel it.

"If you're done being a downer, go ahead and open that wine, dinner is ready.

They had a comfortable meal, their conversation coming as easily as always. They talked about just about everything, for the first time not worrying about who might overhear them. It wasn't until the wine was gone and the meal was over, that Jace decided to try to open up the topic he'd been putting off all evening. It felt odd being nervous. He wasn't the nervous type.

"Tell me something about you. Something no one else knows." Malcom said.

Kia laughed. "I really don't have any secrets…" she thought for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest, then smiled. "Well, I guess there's one thing. It's not really a secret, just not common knowledge."

Malcom looked at Kia from across the small table, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"I am one eighth zabrak. And I'm not talking about the tan skinned, blunted horned zabrak you find in the Republic. I'm talking about the kind you find in the Empire. Red skin and all."

"Really? How'd your family manage that? There are very few of them in the Republic."

"Apparently, my great grandmother, who was human, met my great grandfather, who was a zabrak, on some neutral planet during one of her thrills seeking trips. She was quite the adventurer. My great grandfather was a loyal member of the Empire until he met her. They feel deeply in love, almost overnight, and they ended up getting married after only two months. They were happily married for decades. They had my grandmother, who had my father and in turn, had Mia and I. The zabrak characteristics bred out fairly quickly. My father had some residual horns that never broke the skin that he had removed when he was young. Besides eyes which are slightly more green than normally found in humans, you'd never guess Mia and I are anything but human."

"I would never have guessed. You're eyes are beautiful, by the way."

Kia actually blushed, at a loss for words for a few moments. As a Jedi, she was not accustomed to being called beautiful. She cleared her throat. "Okay, Jace, your turn. I have a feeling you brought this topic up for a reason."

Jace took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, then let it out slowly.

"I did. There are things you need to know about me, before whatever this is goes any further."

Kia gave Jace a worried look, but remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"Just over thirty years ago, while I was the commander of Havoc Squad, fighting Darth Malgus on Alderaan, I had a six month affair with Satele Shan."

Kia's eyes widened. "As in the Grandmaster?"

Jace nodded. "She was only a Knight back then, but yes. There's more. She was pregnant when she left me, though she didn't tell me about the pregnancy."

Kia was silent for a moment, but then realization appeared on her face. "Theron Shan is your son, isn't he? I could sense there was some type of connection between you in your office today."

Jace nodded again. "Yes. I only just learned about him myself right before the mission to take down the Ascendant Spear. He didn't know about me, either. Satele gave him up at birth, so she could return to the Jedi. He was raised by her old master. Theron and I are trying to have some kind of father/son relationship, but after thirty one years, it's difficult for both of us. Though, I think we have a better relationship than Theron and Satele."

"So, you and Master Satele have a thirty something year old son together. Is that all?"

Jace nodded a third time, then waited for Kia's reaction. For better or worse, the truth was out there.

Kia remained quiet for a few minutes, taking in what she had just been told. She could feel how nervous Jace was as he waited for her to react. The real question she was trying to answer was, did any of this matter to her enough to end things? After a few more silent, uncomfortable minutes, Kia stood, crossing over to Jace and sitting lightly across his lap, placing her arms around his neck. The action surprised him.

"This changes nothing. If I weren't interested in you, I wouldn't have left you the way I did on that first kinda date. I certainly wouldn't have gone out with you a dozen times since then." She leaned in closer to him. "And even though you have a son who is probably at least 5 years older than me, I'm still interested. Interested enough to continue with my plan to ask you to spend the night."

She kissed him, as the realization of what she just said sunk in. He pulled away slightly, looking at her with wide, understanding eyes.

"Have you ever…"

Kia smiled at him. "Once, when I was a teenager on Tython with another padawan. It was clumsy and awkward."

Jace kissed her gently. "Well, I can promise this will be neither clumsy or awkward, if you're sure you're ready."

Kia paused for moment, blushing slightly, the subject wasn't an overly comfortable one for a Jedi. "I've been thinking about this for over a week now. I want you to see me. I want to feel you touch me. I'm sure."

Jace kissed her again, running his hands slowly down her back. He could feel every muscle in her back tense through the dress, which was much thinner than her usual Jedi robes. Kia moaned softly from the touch. This caused him to kiss her harder and with more passion. He left one hand on her back and raised the other so he was caressing her hair. He gently pulled it loose so it hung around her shoulders. They stayed in that position for several minutes, until Jace surprised Kia by lifting her into his arms as if she weighed nothing, carrying her towards her bedroom.

The lights in the rest of the apartment turned off on their own. Kia obviously was using the Force to shut everything off. Jace stopped the kiss, but kept his lips close to hers. "That's handy."

Kia giggled almost drunkenly, though she hadn't drank enough of the wine to impact her sobriety. "Contrary to what most Jedi say, the Force is for more than knowledge and defense."

Jace was laughing too as they entered the bedroom and Kia closed the door with her powers.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	21. Chapter 21

New chapter up. A little sisterly goodness for ya. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Mia was on her way to see Kia before heading out to the Republic fleet. The plan to invade Korriban was complete and they were mere days from beginning the operation. For some odd reason, Kia was not a part of the initial assault, even though she was instrumental during the planning stages in organizing the Jedi. She seemed like the obvious choice to lead the Jedi during the attack.

Regardless, Mia wanted to see her before heading out, since this was going to be a tough mission. Mia wasn't planning to be killed in action, but that wasn't exactly something most soldiers had the luxury of planning.

Kia opened the door to her apartment before Mia could even knock. Kia was always doing stuff like that to her sister. To some, it might be considered showing off, but Mia knew her sister was only using the gifts she'd been given and she kinda liked knowing Kia could sense her coming.

"What caf?" Kia asked, heading into the kitchen. She was dressed in a simple brown robe, much like what was traditionally worn by other Jedi and she looked like she'd only just gotten out of bed. It was odd, since it was very close to noon.

"You read my mind." Mia replied, leaning against the counter as she watched Kia poured two mugs of caf. She noticed there was already two used mugs by her sink. Kia pulled a new mug down from the cupboard, filling it and handing it to her, while she poured the hot liquid into one of the mugs by the sink for herself.

Kia wasn't the type to leave dirty dishes by the sink, since their mother had made it a point to break that particular habit in both of them as children. It was unlikely both mugs were hers.

They sat in the living room, sipping their drinks slowly.

"I was surprised when Agent Shan told me you weren't coming along for this one."

Kia shrugged. "I'm more of a lone Jedi. I go with other groups when only one Jedi is needed. This operation is coordinating dozens of them. I'm much more valuable here. Or at least, that's my guess, anyway. The council doesn't want me to participate on this one and I follow the council's lead."

"Okay. It just seems odd, that's all. It would have been nice to have you by my side. It worked out well the last time." Mia placed her mug on the side table next to the chair and stood. Something was off with Kia. Mia didn't know what it was, but something wasn't quite right. "I'll be right back." Mia said, pointing towards Kia's refresher. Mia needed to take a look around.

She headed into Kia's room, seeing nothing out of order. Mia kept her feelings in check, knowing Kia would pick up on anything off in her emotional mood. Mia had gotten good at controlling her emotions with her twin around. It was a skill she had learned and mastered when she was young and had come in handy many times during her military career.

Kia's bed was made, but both pillows looked like they had been used recently. That didn't mean much, since Kia might be an active sleeper. It had been a while since they shared a room, so Mia wasn't familiar with her sister's sleeping habits anymore.

She continued into the refresher, again, finding nothing of interest at first. After a quick inspection, she found one thing that didn't seem right. There were two towels hanging over her shower door. Both of them were still wet.

Mia returned to the living room and stood watching Kia as she sipped her caf. She looked different, somehow. Happier. In that moment, she realized there was nothing for it but to ask. Covert observation wasn't getting her anywhere. After all, she was a soldier, not a spy.

"What's going on, Kia?" Mia asked, sitting back in her seat. She picked up her mug and took a slow sip, watching her sister closely.

Kia's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Don't try to hide it. There's an extra dirty mug by your sink and there are two wet towels by the shower. Not to mention you're acting different. I may not be Force sensitive, but I can tell when there is something going on with you. Come on, Kia. I'm your sister. You can tell me."

Kia paused for a moment, thinking, then sighed. "Fine, but you can't tell anyone. Not even Aric."

Mia scoffed. "You know me. Anything you say is safe. Just be honest. You're seeing someone, aren't you?"

Kia nodded. "Yes."

Mia did her best not to make a sound unfitting of a soldier.

"I thought you said you weren't allowed to do stuff like that." Mia said, slightly quieter, though there was no one around to overhear. "Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments."

"I'm not allowed. That's why you need to keep all of this a secret. If the council were to find out, I have no idea what would happen." Kia's eyes were almost pleading. Being a Jedi was important to Kia and Mia knew it. Whoever she was seeing had to be someone special for her to risk her place with the Jedi.

"All your secrets are safe with me, Ki. You know that." Mia said, a bit surprised she needed to even say that to her sister. "How long has this been going on?"

"It started right after our mission together. Remember how we had planned to have dinner, but you had to leave? Well, I guess you could say all of this started at that moment. I got a second offer for dinner."

Mia leaned back, thinking. "Do I know him? I'm assuming it's a him." She leaned forward again, placing her elbows on her knees. "Not that I have any problem with it being a her, mind you."

Kia chuckled, seeming to relax. "It's a him and yes, I think you know him. You know of him, at least." She paused, pressing her lips together nervously, as if trying to build up the courage to tell Mia the next part. "It's Jace Malcom."

Mia's eyes widen. "Jace Malcom? As in, Supreme Commander Jace Malcom?"

Kia nodded.

"Holy…" Mia stood, walking behind the chair she had been sitting in. She stood behind it, placing her hands on the back. "How in the hell did that happen?"

"When you called me that evening, Jace was in my office while I took the call. We have a bad habit of turning up in each other's offices without permission. Long story. Anyway, he had invited me to dinner to celebrate my new title. Since our plans fell through, I took him up on the offer. I thought it was just a friendly dinner between co workers, but at the end of the evening, he flat out told me he wanted more."

"And you said yes." Mia replied.

Kia shook her head. "I said maybe. I was shocked by his honesty. I saw him as a co worker and a friend, but it hadn't even crossed my mind that I might have feelings for him. I'm not really programmed to think of people that way. When I actually sat down and thought about it, it didn't take me very long to realize I actually really like Jace. He's easy to talk to. I truly enjoy his company. I'm extremely attracted to him."

Mia continued to stand, but crossed her arms over her chest. "He's older than you. He's got to be almost as old as dad would be if he were still alive."

Kia blushed slightly. "He's older than dad by a year."

Chuckling in a disbelieving sort of way, Mia returning to her seat. "Wow. I'm just...Wow. That was not what I was expecting. I'm guessing by the mug, and especially the towel, you're sleeping with him."

Kia shrugged. "That part is relatively new. We've only been sleeping together for a couple of weeks."

There was a long pause. Kia sat quietly, allowing her sister to absorb the information. Finally, Mia broke the silence.

"I'm shocked, of course, more by the who, than you actually being with someone, but I'm happy for you. If you're happy, I'm happy."

Kia smiled. She couldn't help it. It felt good to tell someone. "I'm very much so."

"I wonder if he has anything to do with you not being on this mission to take Korriban."

Kia considered it. "I have no idea. He might have spoken with the council without my knowledge and advised them that I should stay on Coruscant. I guess I should be mad if he did, but it's kinda sweet. It's not often you find someone who goes out of their way to protect a Jedi Master. We don't usually need protecting."

Mia laughed. "Oh yeah, you got it bad for him."

Kia realized Mia was right. They had only been together a short time, but she realized, in that moment, something profound.

She loved him.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	22. Chapter 22

Another chapter up. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia sat quietly in Malcom's office, listening as he spoke with Director Trant. Jace was angry and Kia wished she could do something to ease his emotions, but anything she might do would be perceived as overly intimate to the director and Jace hated it when she used her abilities on him without asking first.

The mission to take Korriban worked perfectly. The assault was flawless and they even managed to kill a member of the dark council in the process. Everything seemed to be going well for the Republic, until news about Tython came in. Apparently, an attack on Tython had been made at the exact same time as their assault on the Sith academy. The temple was taken by the Empire and the Jedi lost their battlemaster, who stayed to defend the temple.

Kia had insisted on being a part of the team to retake the planet, since many of the Jedi killed during the attack were friends. She had accompanied Havoc Squad and they had retaken the temple easily. Too easily. It was almost like the Empire had given the planet back...like they found what they had invaded for and no longer needed to hold the planet. Something was very odd about the whole situation. It had to be more than coincidence that the Empire just happened to take the Jedi temple at the same time the Republic took the Sith academy. Things were just not adding up.

Shortly after returning to Coruscant, Havoc Squad and Agent Shan started acting strangely. They were being very secretive, going off on missions not necessarily sanctioned by either the SIS or the Republic military. They weren't doing anything treasonous, it was more like they were adding scope to their missions and not including everything in their reports. Havoc got a little more leeway for such things, but Mia wasn't the type to use it.

A few weeks later, Colonel Derek was killed on Rakata Prime and all evidence pointed to Agent Shan being involved with his death. Why either of them were on Rakata was just one of many mysteries. As it was, Agent Shan had gone underground before the 'apprehend on sight' order against him could be carried out.

"Theron is not a traitor!" Malcom insisted, slamming his fist on his desk for emphasis.

"I know he's not, Commander, but the evidence against him is extremely solid. Almost too solid, I'd say, but until we find him, there's nothing we can do. To be honest, I hope he stays below the radar until we do a full investigation. Something isn't adding up here. For example, why were either of them on Rakata Prime to begin with? I sent men in and the entire place had been reduced to rubble. It looked like an attack from above." Trant leaned back in his chair, pondering.

"Derek hadn't been ordered there by the Republic, that's for damn sure." Malcom replied, still extremely angry.

"You've been oddly quiet, Master Kia." Trant said, looking to Kia, who hadn't said a word since the impromptu meeting had started.

Kia pulled herself out of her light trance and nodded. "I agree, something isn't quite right about this whole situation. I can sense something off, and yes, I'm aware both of you hate it when I describe things as a bad feeling through the Force, but I really can't describe it any better than that. One thing I do know for sure, this is only the beginning. I can feel it."

"Major Wryn is being very tight lipped about the whole thing. It had been rumored she was also on Rakata Prime, but nothing could be proven. She's not saying anything officially about any of it in her reports." Malcom said. "It's not like her to leave things out of official reports."

"Maybe she'll talk to me." Kia offered. "She might feel safer speaking to me than anyone else, if there is, in fact, something going on. It wouldn't necessarily be official, but it might shed some light."

"Do it, but nothing that's said between you can go beyond the three of us. We need to sort this out and I have a feeling we need to be careful about who we trust." Trant said, sounding more like a spy than usual. Trant had confidence in Theron and it was good to know he wasn't going to take the evidence given and damn him for it.

Kia stood. "I'll send a secure holo as soon as I get back to my apartment. I'll let you know what I discover." Kia gave Jace as reassuring a look as she could without giving away anything about their personal situation and left the office. No doubt The commander would find his way to her apartment later, once the director had left.

Something bad was happening and Mia was involved. Kia could feel it. How much trouble she was in was yet to be seen. Mia had a knack for finding trouble. Thus far, she had always been able to handle it herself. Kia just hoped her luck wouldn't run out.

* * *

Jace only stayed in his office long enough to finish things up with Marcus. Once he left, Jace had his assistant cancel all his appointments and he headed over to Kia's apartment.

He was still angry. How anyone in the Republic could honestly believe that Theron was a traitor was beyond him. His son was one of the best SIS agents they had and had done more for the Republic than most of the other agents combined. Theron was a damn hero, not a traitor.

Unfortunately, Malcom's feelings meant nothing without proof. With any luck, Kia would be able to shed some light on the situation when she spoke with her sister.

When Malcom arrived at Kia's apartment, he knocked, but then used his entry code and went in. He had become accustomed to not waiting for her to open the door for him. They had become extremely comfortable with each other fairly quickly.

At first, he didn't see Kia, but then a slight shift in the air indicated her balcony door was open. Jace walked out to find her leaning against the railing, looking out at the lights of the city. She didn't even seem to register his presence at all. Jace forgot about his anger.

"Is everything alright, Ki?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't care if they were on her balcony and others might be able to see them.

"I don't know." She turned in his arms so she was facing him, but didn't pull away. "I talked to Mia. I'm going out to meet with her at a neutral location we've used for years. She wants to tell me something, but she's...scared isn't the right word...she's... worried the wrong people will find out about whatever it is she's hiding. I've never felt her like this. I'm worried about her, Jace."

"Then I'm going with you." Jace said. It wasn't a question.

Kia shook her head. "No. I need to do this alone. There's something going on. Something big. I think I might be one of the few people she truly trusts, at the moment."

Jace wanted to argue with her, but she was making sense. If he went along with Kia, Mia might not feel comfortable enough to talk to her sister.

"Besides, I'm a Jedi Master, Jace. I can take care of myself."

Jace chuckled. "I know. But you're MY Jedi Master. It feels like I'm not doing my part as your boyfriend, if I'm not doing everything I can to protect you."

Kia pulled Jace into a tight hug. "And I love you for being protective, but I'll be alright."

Jace pulled back and looked at Kia. She had just said she loved him. She had done it without thinking, which meant she wasn't just saying it. She meant it. A look of concern formed on her face when she realized what she had said.

Jace smiled down at her. "I love you too, Ki." He hugged her, enjoying how she seemed to relax into his arms once she understood that her admission wasn't going to scare him away. "Just be careful and contact me if anything funny happens. Anything at all. I'll have a fleet scrambled to your location, if need be."

"I doubt anything requiring a fleet's intervention will happen, but you know I'll keep in contact." She sighed and pulled away. "I need to get going. The rendezvous spot is a good half a day flight away. I'll get back as soon as I can."

Kia had no need to pack a bag, since her ship was well stocked with anything she might need. She gave Jace a kiss, which she meant to be quick and light, but turned into a long passionate embrace that lasted several minutes. She knew Jace was not happy about her going alone, but she had to this time. If Mia was concerned enough to ask to meet face to face, something bad was happening. Or about to happen.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	23. Chapter 23

New chapter up. A little bit of twin sister interaction. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Mia sat in the pilot seat of her ship, waiting. They were currently drifting in space, at exactly the middle of nowhere. These were the coordinates she and Kia had used for years when they needed to talk to each other, but also wanted complete and utter privacy. They didn't use them very much anymore, but for a year or two before Kia was stationed on Coruscant, they were meeting up here at least once a month, just to keep in touch. Unfortunately, things were more dire this time.

The situation was getting out of hand. The Order of Revan. Who knew an obscure Imperial cult could make such an impact and get their feet into so many high level places. Things had to be desperate to have Theron Shan, one of the Republic's SIS stars, be forced into hiding with a Sith and a smuggler. The whole situation was unreal. If she hadn't been there to witness it all herself, Mia probably would have a hard time believing it. She just hoped Kia would believe her.

A proximity alarm sounded as a ship popped out of hyperspace almost right in front of her. It was Kia's ship. Moments later, their usual coded ID came through.

Mia acknowledged the signal and stood. Here goes nothing.

* * *

Kia hooked her umbilical to Mia's ship and waited for the pressure to equalize. Once she got the greenlight, she opened her door and walked across to Mia's ship. She was waiting, looking more tired than usual. Kia could feel her sister's stress.

Mia hugged her. "Thanks for coming over to my ship. I've done several full sweeps for bugs and other listening devices. It would take hours to clear your ship."

Kia gave Mia a confused look, but didn't press the issue. She figured she'd learn the source of her sister's paranoia soon enough. Mia took her to the ships war room, where Captain Jorgan was waiting.

"So, what has you all rattled? Why the need for absolute secrecy? Does this have to do with Agent Shan?" Kia asked, opting to stand at the end of the room, rather than sit.

"I figured you'd heard at least something. It's a long story, but I'll start at the beginning."

Mia started at the attacks on Korriban and Tython, which Kia already knew about and continued through her mission on Manaan, where she found the connection between Darok and a Sith name Arkous and how they were both part of the Order of Revan. She told her about going to Rakata Prime, only to end up killing both conspirators and nearly getting killed by Revan himself. She also told her sister about Lana Beniko and Jakarro and how she had been working with them, plus Agent Shan, to uncover what they could about Revan.

Kia listened patiently. If anyone but her sister were telling her these things, she'd be skeptical, but this was Mia. She was telling the truth.

"Revan? I read about him during my time on Tython, but to have him alive and trying to take out both the Empire and the Republic. It's almost unbelievable."

Kia could feel Mia's concern.

"I said, almost unbelievable. I believe you Mia. You know better than to try to lie to me." Kia took a seat. "I also understand why you needed to meet me out here. The Force only knows who we can trust and how deep this conspiracy goes. Does your team have a path forward?"

Mia nodded. "Somewhat. Basically, Theron and Lana will do what they can to get more information on Revan while in hiding. He's an SIS agent and Lana seems very good at intelligence gathering herself. Together, they should be able to find something. They want me to just go about my normal business, keep my nose clean and my eyes open for possible links while I go. They said they would contact me when they know more."

"And you trust them?" Kia asked.

"Theron, completely. Lana, I don't think she has anything to gain from betraying us. If nothing is done, both the Republic and the Empire will be corrupted from the inside out. It's painful to say, but I think we're all on the same side this time around. Lana appears to be a very pragmatic Sith."

"What do you need me to do?" Kia asked. "You didn't just ask me out here to keep me from worrying and to stop me from call you."

"Keep your eyes open for anything that might be related to Revan. You're a part of the Republic's inner circle. Watch for anyone acting strangely. And don't tell anyone, anything about this." Mia took a few steps closer to Kia "And I do mean anyone." She emphasized the anyone.

Kia knew she meant Jace. As much as Kia trusted him with her life, Mia didn't have the same kind of trust. Why would she? To her, Jace was just another potentially corrupted government figure. Kia nodded.

"This doesn't go beyond this ship. But I have a feeling you can trust Director Trant and the Supreme Commander."

"Why would you say that?" Jorgan asked, talking for the first time.

"I'm not sure if you are aware or not, but Theron is the supreme commander's son. Malcom is furious, and I do mean furious that anyone could possibly think Agent Shan is a traitor. As for the Director, he's actually doing his best to help Theron. When we met right before I called, he mentioned that the evidence against Theron was just too solid. To complete. He's looking into the evidence, rather than trying to find him." Kia could tell Mia was concerned. "I still won't tell either of them anything about this meeting, of course. When I get back, I'll do what I can to help keep anyone from finding Agent Shan."

"Thanks, Ki. I'll try to keep you informed when I get more information, but I'm leery of sending anything to you directly through Coruscant."

"Just be careful, Mia." Kia looked over at Jorgan. Her sister and the cathar had been married shortly after leaving Tython. It has been just a quick ceremony right before the mission to take Korriban. "You be careful too. And keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything too reckless."

"I have her back. Always will." He replied.

Kia sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to tell people when I get back. Director Trant and Commander Malcom are expecting some possible clarification and I doubt either of them will believe I flew all the way out here and have learned nothing. But you don't have to worry about that. I'll come up with something. You just worry about helping Agent Shan however you can. And staying safe."

Mia paused, looking over at Jorgan.

"Can you give us a minute, Aric?" She asked.

Jorgan nodded, closing the door as he went.

"I'm sorry I'm asking you to keep things from the commander." Mia said quietly.

"It's alright, Mi. He won't be happy about it, but I think he'll understand. I won't lie to him, just tell him there are things that must be kept quiet, for now. Again, not happy, but he's a big picture type of guy. And it's me. He can't be mad at me. Not for long, anyway."

"So, things are still good between you?" Mia asked, still feeling bad that she was pretty much forcing her sister to be secretive around her boyfriend. The relationship had to be hard to navigate, even without her twin sister asking her to keep things from her man.

Kia smiled. She couldn't help it. "They're good. Very good, actually. Don't worry about all this impacting our relationship. We're incredibly solid, considering we've only been together for a few months. He has a fleet on standby, just in case I need help, for crying out loud."

Mia laughed. "I guess you don't send a fleet to the aid of a woman you're not totally crazy about." Mia hugged Kia. "I'll try not to worry. You just be careful."

"You too." Kia replied.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	24. Chapter 24

Another chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

"What do you mean, you can't tell me?!" Malcom yelled. He wasn't exactly yelling at Kia. He was angry, but Kia could sense it was more about the situation, then her. Though there was a small part that was directed towards her. That part stung a little.

"There are things happening. Mia made me promise not to tell anyone. It's like the Director said, she doesn't know who she can trust. Just believe me, she's working to clear Theron's name and help the Republic. When there's something I can share, I will." Kia walked up to Jace, placing a hand on his chest. Fortunately, they were in his apartment, so Kia was able to touch him. He always calmed down when she was able to make direct contact, allowing the Force to flow between them, even if Jace couldn't sense it.

Jace took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming himself the best he could, allowing Kia's influence to help. He was still angry, but not quite as boisterous about it. He placed his hand over the one Kia still rested on his chest. "I'm sorry I yelled. I just feel out of control. I'm never out of control."

Kia smiled up at him. "I know. Just trust that what I don't tell you, is for the best. Not only for the Republic, but for Theron as well."

"So, what? I just go about my business like nothing's wrong? Like there aren't people trying to run my son's good name through the mud?" A hint of his anger started to creep back into his voice.

Kia sighed. "I'm sorry, but yes. There's little else you can do. Nothing else either of us can do. I don't like that Mia is out there, being all covert and secretive. It worries the hell out of me, but I promised I'd go about my life as usual, save for keeping my eyes open."

Jace walked over to his liquor shelf and poured himself a drink. He downed it in one gulp, then poured a second.

Kia sat down on the sofa, resting her head on the back. She hadn't actually slept since the night before the first meeting in Jace's office. She had been running on Jedi rejuvenation techniques for three days now and it was starting to catch up with her. The techniques would work better if her exhaustion were only physical. As it stood, most of it was emotional and her body was starting to lose the battle to keep up. Dealing with an angry Jace wasn't helping.

Jace turned and looked at Kia. She looked exhausted. Kicking himself, he put his half finished drink on the counter and sat next to her.

"When was the last time you slept?" He asked. The angry tone he had been using was nowhere to be found. His voice was now calm and gentle. It was amazing how fast his anger diminished around Kia.

"Three days, going on four, I think." She replied, not opening her eyes. "Honestly, everything is starting to run together. I've been using Jedi techniques to keep going. The Force is a powerful ally, but emotional fatigue is harder to meditate away than physical fatigue."

"I'm sorry Ki. It's terrible of me not to have seen this before. Here I am, claiming to love you and not noticing you're struggling. I'm still stuck in the bachelor soldier mindset I've had for most of my life. I get angry when I don't get what I want and I'm taking it out on you. None of this is your fault."

Kia lifted her head and opened her eyes.

"It's alright, Jace. I'm a grown woman. I don't need you to take care of me."

Jace actually chuckled. "You're right, you don't. But I want to. Everyone needs help once in awhile. Even Jedi Masters. It's my job to notice when you're suffering and do everything I can to make it stop. Certainly not pile onto it."

Kia leaned into Jace, wrapping her arms around him and placing her head on his chest.

"Now, I'm going to go run you a hot bath, then you're going to bed. You need to sleep." Jace said in his commanding voice. The one he used when giving orders to his men.

"And will you be joining me for these activities?"

Jace laughed as he stood. "I'd love to, but not this time. You need to relax and get some rest. Having an old man pawing at you won't help very much."

Kia gave Jace a very sloppy salute. "As you say, Commander." She stood, stretching. "Lead the way."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	25. Chapter 25

Just a short one this time. Enjoy

* * *

The weeks went by and nothing too unusual had occurred since Kia spoke to Mia.

The witch hunt for Theron was still running full speed, regardless of the fact that he had officially been disavowed and finding him should have been a fairly low priority. Kia had heard rumors that men identifying themselves as Republic soldiers were talking with anyone and everyone who knew him. And by talking she meant bullying or roughing up. The Revanites seemed to be almost desperate to find Theron and were quietly doing whatever it took to learn of his whereabouts. Fortunately, Agent Shan was far too good at his job and remained hidden.

Kia sat quietly in her office, scanning through several reports, carefully marking locations on a star chart on her computer monitor. Her door chimed, barely pulling her from her task as she called for the visitor to come in.

"You've been in this office all day. I don't think I've seen you behind that desk for this long since you started. What has you all absorbed?" Director Trant asked, walking in and taking a seat.

"Just a puzzle." Kia looked up at him. "You know about the fleet sent to Rishi, right?"

"Of course. Grandmaster Shan was commanding it herself. Why?"

"Well, the reason the fleet was sent was because of pirate attacks." She placed her hands on a stack of datapads next to her. "These are the reports from your spy network about similar attacks on Imperial shipping lanes. They seemed odd to me, so I started plotting them on a star chart, along with the ones from our reports from our own shipping lanes."

Trant stood, and moved behind Kia, so he could see her terminal.

"If you map both sides out, you can see a pattern."

"By the Force." Trant said, leaning in closer to the screen. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"The pirates are actually forcing both factions towards the planet Rishi."

"By why? What could either side gain from bumping into each other over a backwater planet like Rishi." Trant replied, returning to his seat.

"My thoughts exactly. It's like someone is pushing both sides into a confrontation. A confrontation I wouldn't even see the Empire willingly getting into. I have a bad feeling about this." Kia said. "If my map is accurate, the sky over Rishi will be a bloodbath if the Imperials sent a fleet to investigate like we did."

Trant huffed. "And there's no reason to think they won't."

"Unfortunately, the Grandmaster's fleet left a while ago. They're probably already there."

* * *

At that exact moment, the Republic fleet lead by the Grandmaster exited hyperspace right on top of an Imperial fleet lead by Darth Marr.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	26. Chapter 26

New chapter up, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Kia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She did her best to focus the Force to help heal the blaster wound on her side. The lights in the Medcenter had been dimmed and she was pretty much alone, save for a Jedi healer, who was working on a report in the next room. There was no reason why she shouldn't have been able to slip into a nice healing trance, but so much had happened, she was having a terrible time focusing.

It had been a rough few months, as the events over Rishi and on Yavin 4 unfolded. Both the Republic and the Empire were still on Yavin trying to stop Revan's plans to return the Sith Emperor to a physical form. Mia was also on Yavin, which was causing Kia more stress than she normally liked.

As it stood, Theron's innocence had been proven, which had helped ease the supreme commander's mind. He had to deal with Saresh's anger from being left out of the loop for the entire operation, but it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with before in his career. Fortunately, Malcom's anger at the grandmaster for her past actions didn't cloud his judgment when it came to backing her up on her decisions, when they were for the good of the Republic. It didn't matter how angry Saresh was about the situation. With the supreme commander and the Jedi grandmaster on the same page, all she could do was agree to disagree and move on.

There was still no new news from the planet, so Kia was left to continue business as usual, which meant a mission to accompany a special ops team to a Hutt Cartel base. Rumor was the hutt controlling the facility was selling Republic POWs as slaves. Slavery was illegal in the Republic, but not so much in Hutt controlled territory.

The Republic clamped down hard on the cartel when they dipped their tails into the slave trade, but the hutts had short memories when it came to anything but credits. Sometimes they needed to be reminded why selling POWs was bad for business, but first, the Republic needed proof of the activity. That was the mission.

It wasn't anything too critical, since they were only going to gather information, but if it helped to prevent any more Republic soldiers from being sold into slavery, then it would be worth the effort. The SIS had already done most of the groundwork. It was just up to special forces to extract what they needed from the base.

It turned out the commanding officer of the squad, a Major Wildo, was looking to pad his resume by not only extracting the data they were being sent to retrieve, but take out the entire base once the slave trade was confirmed. He would effectively be cutting the head off the serpent, since the hutt controlling the operations was rumored to be on the base. His plan to do this involved the sacrifice of one person and he figured the best person to sacrifice would be a Jedi, since they were the type to openly agree to die for the good of the Republic.

Wildo hadn't shared his plans with anyone on his squad or with Kia.

Unfortunately for his plan, Kia could feel the major's intentions when they first entered the base. The Force was telling her something wasn't right, so she eavesdropped on the squads transmissions while doing her part of the mission. It didn't take long for the Major to confess to his executive officer, Captain Milne, that he planned to allow Kia to die.

Captain Milne, being a man of high morals and ethics, was less than happy about his commanding officer's admission and took it upon himself to help get Kia out of the base before the timed explosives blew. Unfortunately, the heavy opposition resulted in both Milne and Kia being wounded, but they made it out alive.

The Major played dumb until they got to Coruscant, where an armed detail was waiting to take the Major into custody. He had tried to rationalize his plan to General Garza and Commander Malcom. His efforts were futile.

Kia almost felt sorry for him. Had Kia been any other Jedi, he might have been given a less extreme punishment, or might have even convinced his superiors that his actions were in the best interest of the Republic. As it stood, Malcom was pushing for a full court martial. It made Kia wonder, if the major had known the Jedi he planned to sacrifice was the lover of the supreme commander, would he have changed his plans.

The door to the medcenter opened, and Jace walked in, along with Chancellor Saresh. Jace appeared composed and calm on the outside, but Kia could feel his concern for her, as well as some residual anger. She sensed he was fighting the temptation to hug her.

"Are we interrupting, Master Jedi?" Saresh asked. The Twi'lek looked and sounded concerned, but her feelings held very little genuine emotion. While Jace was hiding his emotions, Saresh was faking hers.

Kia signed, unfolding her legs to allow them to swing over the side of the medical bed. "Not at all. I'm finding it hard to focus in this medcenter. I have a feeling I won't be able to truly meditate until I'm discharged. I was never very comfortable in these places. I've spent far too much time in medcenters in my life."

"I'd like to personally apologize to you for the actions of Major Wildo and to assure you, his actions were not sanctioned."

Kia nodded. "I know and there is no reason to apologize for him. His actions were his own and I hear he is now suffering the consequences of those actions."

"He certainly is." Malcom agreed, still playing his part as supreme commander.

"We just wanted to assure you that something like this will never happen again. The Jedi are an important part of the Republic and we'll be making it perfectly clear that members of your order should never be used in such a way."

"Don't get me wrong…" Kia replied "...I'm willing the die for the Republic, if the situation calls for it, but I'm not willing to die to help a major get a promotion. I like helping people, but not that much."

The Jedi healer came in and stood next to the bed.

"Normally, I'd insist on no visitors this late at night, but considering who you are, I'll make an exception." The healer said. She was a human woman, probably in her fifties, but it was often hard to tell the age of a Jedi by looks alone.

"Any chance I can go back to my apartment?" Kia asked. "My injuries were never life threatening. I can heal myself up the rest of the way, once I'm comfortable enough to get into a healing meditation."

"I don't see why not." She turned to Malcom. "Would you be willing to escort Master Wryn to her apartment?"

"Of course." He replied, again, hiding his true emotions.

"I'm perfectly capable of…" Kia began to protest.

"I know you're capable of getting home alone, Kia. Just humor this old woman and let the commander at least get you to your building."

Kia signed, but nodded. She hoped the healer believed her argument about making it home alone and not her excitement about being escorted by Jace. All Kia wanted to do, at that moment, was be wrapped in Jace's protective arms.

Saresh took her leave, allowing Jace to escort Kia to the speeders. The two remained quiet until they reached her apartment. Once inside, Jace pulled Kia into a hug, being mindful of her injured side. The door barely had time to close.

"You have no idea how hard it was to not do this the moment we walked into that medcenter." He said. Kia didn't need her empathy to hear the relief in his voice.

"I'm fine, Jace."

"The Major should consider himself lucky he's only being court martialed. If it were up to me, I'd have him executed for his actions. Life in prison is too good for a man like him." Jace said. "There's no place for soldiers with his kind of attitude in my military. You don't sacrifice your own men to make yourself look good."

Kia could feel his anger. It was almost tangible and it scared her just a little. It made her think about what Master Satele must have felt when she left Jace. He had told Kia, Satele had a hard time with his attitude towards the enemy. Particularly, if the enemy ever managed to take her away from him. If he was this angry from a soldier making a bad choice, how did he truly feel about the Empire. She had never experienced Jace in the field, where emotions ran high.

Kia hugged him harder. "Calm your anger, Jace. I'm fine. Honestly, I was only slightly in danger. I'm trained to deal with the deception of others. I'd be a poor Jedi Master if I couldn't. The Major will be punished for his actions and I'm happy with that. Please relax." She used as much of her Force influence as she could. Normally, she didn't use any kind of manipulation on Jace, but she needed him to calm down. She needed him to balance out.

After several minutes, she could feel him relax and his anger fade.

"You're right." He looked down at her. He gave her a quick kiss, then headed over to Kia's liquor shelf to poor himself a drink. He poured Kia one too.

Kia sat on the sofa and accepted the drink Jace offered her. She didn't drink often, but it had been a rough few days and she had refused any kind of painkillers once the initial kolto had worn off.

"So, any news from Yavin?" She asked, taking a sip of the amber liquid. She decided a change of subject was in order.

Jace grimace. "Not much. The update from the Grandmaster Shan was fairly short. They're still working to find Revan. It sounds like the truce with the Empire is still holding. Your sister has a talent for keeping the peace, apparently. She's managed to gain the respect of most of the Imperial soldiers. Impressive."

Kia chuckled. "Yeah, Mi has always been good at getting others to look up to her. I get that reaction because of what I am, she actually earns it. Always has. I just wish they'd find Revan and end this."

"I hate this truce." He scoffed. "Working with the Imps. Hard to believe."

Kia nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Things will work out, Jace. Have faith."

Jace wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they sat quietly, sipping their drinks. Kia was thankful Jace was in a more even mood. She closed her eyes and slipped into a light healing meditation listening to Jace's rhythmic heartbeat.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	27. Chapter 27

New chapter up!

* * *

Kia was in a good mood as she and Director Trant headed out of the senate tower, towards the speeders. They had just completed a meeting and were heading out to grab some lunch.

The situation with Revan was finally over. Mia, along with her Republic and Imperial cohorts had managed to prevent Revan from forcing the Sith Emperor into a new body. In that aspect, the mission was a success. Unfortunately, they also managed to wake the Emperor from his slumber on Yavin and now he was off wandering the galaxy as an incorporeal form.

The idea was terrifying, but Kia tried not to think about it. Havoc squad had been tasked with trying to find this Sith ghost, but since even the Jedi council didn't have a clue as how to do that, the situation was awkward. At least Agent Shan was now in the clear. He went from being on the run, to being promoted.

Kia was keeping a light connection with her sister since her ghost hunt started. As much as she trusted Mia to take care of herself, this was a whole new situation. If, somehow, she managed to find the Emperor, Kia wanted to know about it. Monitoring her through the Force was the most subtle way. Kia could remain connected, but still ignore the connection easily enough to prevent day to day distraction. It was a trick she had learned to do with her twin.

They were almost halfway to the speeders when a disturbance in the Force, through her sister's connection, hit Kia like a runaway capitalship. She had the wind knocked out of her and she crumbled to the ground, teeth clenched. She tried to take a breath, but her body would not respond.

Trant knelt by her, concerned. Kia really couldn't hear what he was saying, she was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. After a few seconds, she got in a good breath, though her head was pounding from lack of oxygen. She recovered enough to look up at Trant and hear his words, her ears ringing.

"What's wrong?"

"Something terrible has happened." She whispered, out of breath. "I felt it through the Force, through the link I have with my sister."

"Is she…" Trant started.

"No, Mia's fine, I think. This is something bigger. Something…" Trant helped her to her feet. "I need to get to the council chambers. Now."

The Director allowed Kia to lean on him until she was steady enough on her feet to walk, then they headed back the way they came. They were getting several interesting looks from people who witnessed her collapse.

When they arrived in the Jedi council chambers, Kia dialed up Tython. She only had to wait a few seconds before the call was answered.

"You felt it too, didn't you, Master Wryn?" Satele asked. There were about a half dozen masters sitting around the table. They all looked troubled.

"I've been monitoring my sister. What happened? I've never felt anything like it. It was like a candle flame being blown out with thermite. I can't describe it any other way."

Satele sighed. "Ziost is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Director Trant asked.

"The planet is there, but every living thing, down to the last microbe, has been eradicated. Death on that scale caused a shockwave through the Force we all felt. We're still investigating. If Major Wryn was near Ziost and you had an open connection with her, you must have felt it more than others." Satele explained. There was genuine sorrow in her voice.

"How is that even possible. How can all life be destroyed on an entire planet, yet the planet is still intact?" Trant asked, taking a seat. He was sending a communication to the chancellor.

"The Emperor." Kia said, quietly, almost to herself.

"We believe so. We'll know more once we investigate, but I can think of nothing or no one else who would or could do something like this." Satele replied.

Everyone went quiet while the enormity of the situation sunk in. After a few minutes, the Director noticed Kia was shivering.

"Are you alright, Master Kia?" He asked, walking over to where she had taken a seat. He placed a hand on her hand, causing her to jump.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm alright."

"You're not." Said Gnost-Dural from the holo. "I can sense your turmoil from here. You picked up more than just a Forcewave, didn't you?"

Kia didn't answer, again seeming lost in her own thoughts.

"You felt the emotions of all of those lives being extinguished." Gnost-Dural continued. It wasn't a question.

Kia only nodded slightly. Her shivering had changed to outright shaking. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Director, will you please escort Master Wryn to a researcher on planet named Attros Finn. Tell him what happened and inform him that we're sending help for Kia. It might take a few days to get there. Ask him to assist her as best he can until the Jedi healers arrive." Master Satele instructed.

Trant nodded. "Of course." By then, Kia was practically a zombie. She allowed him to escort her out of the room without any trouble, but she was otherwise non responsive.

* * *

"By the Force." Master Kaedan said, leaning back in his chair as the holo call ended. "If Master Wryn empathically sensed the destruction of Ziost…"

"...then she felt the emotions of millions of terrified beings as they died, all at once." Master Satele finished for him. "Even the most powerful of us could never hope to withstand such a load unscathed."

"Kia's mind is very good at processing the emotions of others, but I feel this shock may have been too much for even her mind to bare. She'll need help." Kiwiiks added.

"I will go to her." Gnost-Dural said, the tone of his voice preventing argument. "She was my padawan. I think I'll be able to help her the most."

Gnost-Dural left with the council's blessing. He had a bad feeling about all of this. He only hoped whatever damage was caused by the emotional load Kia took in wouldn't be permanent.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	28. Chapter 28

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Commander Malcom didn't hear about Kia's condition until later in the day, when he met with the other leaders of the Republic to discuss the situation on Ziost.

He wanted to cancel everything in his day and rush to her side, but he knew he couldn't. If Kia had been taken to the Jedi researchers and if there were Jedi healers enroute, he'd have to stay away or risk their relationship being discovered. He didn't care if people found out about them, but he knew it mattered to Kia.

So, that evening, he sat in his apartment alone and waited.

* * *

Gnost-Dural didn't know what he'd be walking into when he arrived on Coruscant. He had been informed by Attros Finn that he had moved Kia to her apartment, feeling familiar surroundings might help her, but he'd heard nothing further.

To be honest, he had no idea what impact a flood of emotion like the one his former student experienced could have to the mind. No one did. Kia was a unique case, always had been. He could only imagine what it would be like to feel all the fear and pain from that many minds simultaneously. Feeling the tragedy traditionally through the Force had been bad enough, but adding emotions like Kia felt could do real damage.

He arrived at her apartment and was met in the hallway but Attros. The young mirialan was relieved to see the Jedi arrive. It had only been a day since the incident, but he looked overly worried and stressed.

"Thanks for coming so quickly, Master." He said, greeting him with a slight bow. "I figured it was a bit less rude to talk about Kia out here, rather than in the apartment with her."

"How is she?" Gnost-Dural asked.

"She's doing better. She's pretty much went back to her old self, once the shock wore off, but there seems to be one major problem. She can't sleep or get into any kind of meditative state. She says every time she closes her eyes, she feels Ziost die all over again. I'm not sure if it's all in her head or if there's been some type of actual damage that can't be picked up on a traditional scanner. I tried to help her through a meditation and it just doesn't work. Maybe since you have a stronger connection with her, you'll have better luck."

* * *

Kia knew Attros was in the hallway, waiting for whoever the council sent to help. She had sensed her old master once he was on Coruscant. No doubt she'd be alone until he arrived.

Kia took her personal holo into her refresher, closing the door behind her. This was the first time Attros had left her alone. She dialed up Jace's apartment, not wanting to risk catching him when he wasn't alone. It was late evening, so hopefully he'd be home. It took only one beep for him to answer.

"Kia! Are you…" He started to say.

"Just listen, Jace. I don't have long to talk before Gnost-Dural gets here. I'm alright, I just can't seem to sleep or meditate very well. I keep feeling all those poor souls on Ziost scream out in pain and fear, every time I try to relax." Kia closed her eyes and Jace could almost see a shiver ran through her.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked.

Kia gave him a weak smile. "Just stay away. I want you here more than anything, but at the moment, I doubt I'd be able to hide my feelings for you from my old master. He's always been very perceptive of me and since I can't even focus enough to meditate, I don't want to risk it. Gnost-Dural will help me, Jace. I know he will."

Jace could hear the desperation in her voice. He couldn't even imagine what she was going through. He wanted to pull her into a hug and hold her, tell her everything would be alright. To shield her from all of this with his presence alone. Jace had never felt so powerless.

"I have to go, Jace."

"I love you, Kia. Please take care of yourself. If you need me there, just holo and I'll be there. Jedi code be damned."

Kia smiled. "I love you, too. Don't worry, I'll be alright."

Kia turned off the holo before she started to cry. Truth be told, she was not alright. She was terrified and her own emotions were completely out of whack, but Jace didn't need to know it. He'd be here in minutes if she told him the whole truth, and as much as she wanted to have him by her side, she was also scared of the council learning the truth about them.

For the time being she had to be a Jedi and a Jedi only.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	29. Chapter 29

Sorry it took so long. New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for readying.

* * *

"Focus on your breath. Feel the air go in and out." Gnost-Dural said, sitting cross legged across from Kia, who was doing the same. It had been nearly three weeks since Ziost and Kia had yet to manage a full night's sleep and she hadn't been able to meditate at all. It was a struggle, but the Kel Dor was not going to give up on his former student.

"Now close your eyes and just listen to my voice. Feel my emotions as we sit here. We are alone in this room. Focus only on this room."

Kia began to breath faster. "I can feel them…"

"Focus, Kia. Listen and feel this room. Nothing exists outside this room. Let the echoes of the past filter out, like a gust of wind. Feel your own emotions. Will your own heart to slow. Relax. Let the Force follow through you. Let it help guide you to peace."

Kia did as her master instructed, slowing her breathing and forcing her heart rate to slow, even though she could still hear the screams.

"Now feel the world around you. Search for a positive emotion."

Kia sat silently, doing her best to feel the emotions around her. It took almost her full concentration to push back the memories, the voices, the screams. After a few minutes she exhaled slowly.

"There's a woman in this building. She's watching her child play. She feels such love. Such joy." Kia said, her eyes still closed. She chuckled as she took in the emotions.

"Perfect." Gnost-Dural replied. "Now focus on those emotions. Block everything else out. Acclimate yourself to what it feels like to feel those emotions. Happiness, joy, love."

The two Jedi sat for almost an hour, as Kia took in the positive emotions. Gnost-Dural couldn't feel the emotions the same as Kia, but he could get the gist of what she was feeling. He mostly focused on his former student. He used the Force to help her remain focused and to help prevent outside distractions. He had done the same thing on Alderaan so many years ago, as she faced Lord Octon.

"Now, try to push your focus out. Feel the emotions of everyone in this building. The good and the bad. Feel the negative, but don't let them drown out the positive. Just feel. Allow all the emotions to just come and go from your mind. They do no rule you. Allow yourself to relax. There is no emotion, there is peace."

Kia did has her master instructed and about a half hour later, she was asleep from sheer exhaustion.

* * *

Malcom was beside himself. He got up, did his job, went home, but none of it mattered. He felt like he was just going through the motions. He hadn't seen Kia since Ziost and it was like torture, being away from her and not even knowing if she was doing alright. He was also dealing with Theron's suspension from the SIS, which caused his son to leave Coruscant. He hadn't seen or spoken to him for almost a month. They weren't close, but they usually at least talked once or twice every few weeks, even if it was only about work.

The worst part was, there was absolutely nothing that could be done. He couldn't help Kia, he couldn't help Theron and, at the moment, there was nothing to do for the situation with Ziost. The planet was physically still there, but for all intents and purposes, it was gone and the being to blame didn't even have a body to track down. Kia's sister was doing her best, but she was only one soldier, an exceptional soldier, but still only a soldier and certainly not equipped to hunt down Sith ghosts.

With a sigh, Malcom stood and stretched. He had been reading SIS reports all day, with only a short break to eat lunch while sitting at his desk. The muscles in his legs protested as we hobbled around his office. They were stiff from lack of movement, but he refused to sit back down. Some days, he really did feel his age. At that moment, he felt about ten years older.

Once regaining his full mobility, he decided to head home. He wasn't doing any good sitting in his office anyway. He was far too distracted to continue to read reports. As he walked past the hallway which connected to the turbolifts, he spotted Master Gnost-Dural, obviously leaving the Jedi council chambers. Malcom hadn't seen much of the Kel Dor since his arrival, assuming he spent most of his time with his former student.

"Ah, Master Jedi. I didn't know you were still on the planet." He said, playing dumb. Fortunately, all the time he spent with Kia over the last few months trained his mind to help hide the fact that he was lying. He knew full well that the Jedi Master was still here, helping Kia, though he hadn't actually communicated with her since that first day her master arrived.

"I'm actually on my way back to Tython. I was just reporting in with my fellow masters before departing."

The two men walked down the hall towards the exit. "How's our resident Jedi doing? She must be improved, if you feel you can leave."

It was hard to tell with his breathing mask, but it sounded like the Jedi sighed. "Her condition is improving, though she's still not back to her old self. At least she's able to get into a peaceful meditation. Enough to help her fall asleep. I think with time, she'll recover. I've helped her all I can. The rest is up to her."

"This whole situation with Ziost is hard to believe. Has the council made any headway with finding the Emperor?" Malcom asked.

"Unfortunately, no. The Sith emperor has always been elusive, even when he had a physical body. In this incorporeal state, he's even more so. I hate to say it, but finding him might only happen when he wants to be found. It is a dangerous time."

Malcom scoffed. "That's an understatement. What's to stop him from devouring planet after planet? He needs to be stopped, but from what I've been told, nobody seems to know how to do that. Not even the Jedi."

"Indeed. But rest assured, the council will discover the answer."

Malcom sighed, clapping the Jedi on the shoulder. "I hope so, Master Jedi, for all our sakes."

They parted ways at the speeders, the Jedi continuing on to the spaceport. Malcom wanted to head right over to Kia's, but he decided to be cautious and headed home instead. He'd wait until he got confirmation of Gnost-Dural's ship leaving the planet before heading over to see her, just to be safe.

He opened the door to his apartment and barely got the door closed behind him before Kia was in his arms. Neither of them said anyway, they just held onto each other. Jace wasn't shocked to find her in his apartment, though he hadn't anticipated almost being plowed over by her. He was thankful she was small.

"You have no idea how hard it was to not just walk into your apartment, Gnost-Dural or no Gnost-Dural." He said.

Kia chuckled. "I've missed you too. I hate sleeping alone." She shrugged. "For as much sleep as I can manage these days."

They walked over to the couch and sat down, not losing contact with each other. Kia leaned against him. She seemed so young to him at that moment. Being a Jedi, it was sometimes easy to forget she was still in her twenties.

"I ran into your Master on his way to the spaceport. He said you were doing better."

"I can fall asleep if I meditate deeply enough. I can't stay asleep for more than an hour or two at a crack, though. I just keep hearing and feeling all those people." Kia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You don't know what it's like, feeling all that fear. They all just called out in pain, then everything went silent."

Malcom placed his arm around her and held her close, trying to ease her trembling. It hurt to see such a strong person this broken. They sat quietly for several minutes. Jace could feel as Kia began to sob. It was soft and gentle at first, but it got stronger and more violent. He held her tighter, allowing her to let her emotions out. Since he didn't have much experience with crying women, this was all he knew how to do.

After about a half an hour, the sobs turned to sniffles, then Kia went quiet altogether. Jace looked down and saw that she was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he allowed her to sleep by his side, though his position was awkward. A few stiff muscles would be worth it, if Kia could get some sleep.

Jace waited patiently for her to wake up, but he ended up falling asleep himself.

To Be Continued...


	30. Chapter 30

New chapter for your reading enjoyment. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia woke up in a bed. The last thing she remembered was crying her eyes out, sobbing like a two year old, while Jace sat there, probably petrified as to what he should do. She wasn't normally an emotional person, so Jace wasn't skilled at dealing with emotional women.

She turned onto her side and saw Jace sleeping soundly next to her. She looked around and found they were in his apartment. The blinds were pulled, but Kia could tell it was only just getting light out...or just getting to be night...she wasn't sure. It had been early evening when Gnost-Dural left and she had slipped out of her apartment.

It had been weeks since she slept more than two hours at a crack, so not knowing how long she had been asleep messed up her sense of time, which was also disconcerting, since Jedi normally have a very good sense of time, rarely even needing to bother with a timepiece. Obviously, her sense of the Force was still a little skewed.

She sat up in bed and the movement woke Jace, who quickly sat up, alarmed. Years of being a soldier allowed him to go from sound asleep to wide awake in seconds.

"Did you have a nightmare? What's wrong?" He asked, concern heavy in this voice.

Kia shrugged. "I just woke up and was a little confused as to what time it is and how I managed to get here. I was on the couch, last I remember."

Jace laid back down on his pillow and turned to face her, a big smile on his face. "You fell asleep on the couch after you stopped crying. I let you sleep for about three hours, sure you'd wake up screaming at some point. When you didn't, I moved you to the bed, once my arm regained its circulation from being slept on for three hours." He looked at the timepiece on the far wall. "And since it's almost six in the morning, I'd say you slept a good twelve hours or so."

"Really? So, I spent the last few weeks trying to work through my emotional baggage and all I really needed was a good cry?"

Jace laughed. "I'm sure your former master helped a little, but yes, it looks that way."

Kia snuggled back down under the covers and slide up close to Jace, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. "Well, in that case, I think I'll go back to sleep."

"Good Idea." He agreed.

* * *

Kia felt wonderful. She was on her way to the Jedi council chambers in the senate tower to check in with the masters on Tython, and she couldn't help but feel almost herself again.

When she arrived in the chamber, she dialed up Tython, the holo being answered by Master Satele almost immediately.

"Master Kia, you have perfect timing. Master Gnost-Dural just returned and was telling us about your treatment. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good, actually. I think I might have accidentally stumble across the key to getting some sleep."

"Really?" Gnost-Dural asked.

"After you left, everything that happened over the last few weeks came to a head and I just started crying. Flat out, sobbing. I'm a bit relieved I was alone when it happened. The outburst lasted for about an hour or so, I think. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on my floor, 12 hours later."

"Hmm, It does make sense. You absorbed a great deal of negative emotions." Satele replied. "Once you dealt with them and got them out, you were about to relax enough to sleep."

Kia nodded. "I think you're right. Gnost-Dural helped me get everything into a nice, neat, organized ball in my mind. Once he left and I was alone, I was able to release the ball. If I stop and think about it, I can still hear and feel everything, but it feels far away now. Manageable."

"That's good." Master Kiwiiks replied. "We were just discussing, if you didn't improve soon, whether we should insist on you returning to Tython."

Kia thought about it for a minute. "I might still want to take a trip to Tython, but let's give me a few more days. I'll see if this was just a fluke or if I can actually manage it now. It might be good to make the trip, regardless."

"If you decide to return, we'll send another Jedi to cover for you, until you feel up to returning to your position." Satele said. Kia could tell she was concerned. "Healing such as this should not be rushed."

"I'll keep you informed. Hopefully, I can move beyond this quickly."

Everyone agreed.

* * *

The masters on Tython sat quietly for a few minutes once the holo went dead. It had been a very difficult few weeks.

"You seem troubled, my friend." Satele asked Gnost-Dural.

The Kel Dor nodded. "Something about my time with Master Wryn isn't sitting right with me. She was distracted, of course, but it felt like she didn't really want me there. Like she was hiding something."

"The events on Ziost left her incredibly unbalanced. It's possible what you felt was just a side effect of her emotional loss of control. It was probably difficult for her to appear so broken in front of someone she respects as much as she respects you." Kiwiiks replied.

"Perhaps, but I have sensed future conflict in my former padawan before. This was more than just an imbalance and a reluctance to appear weak."

"The Force is in conflict all around us. Master Surro, Master Wryn, every Jedi who made it off the planet or was on the space station at the time, felt it to some degree. No one is safe from the kind of power the former Sith Emperor holds. I don't think we should jump to any conclusions quickly." Satele replied. "We will continue to monitor Kia, but I think any conflict you have sensed will show itself in time."

Gnost Dural nodded. He knew Satele was correct. The council had bigger issues to deal with, at the moment. If they could not figure a way to stop the Sith Emperor, there would be nothing from stopping what happened on Ziost from happening over and over again. His concerned for Kia would have to wait.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	31. Chapter 31

New chapter up. :)

* * *

Jace stood outside Kia's apartment trying to think of some way to tell her that her sister was most likely dead.

Captain Jorgan had reported in via holo, saying Darth Marr's ship had been attacked by an unidentified fleet after Havoc had been summoned for an update. Major Wryn had been stranded on Marr's flagship and had ordered her team to leave her behind to warn the Republic. If things were as bad as the captain was claiming, there was very little chance the major could have made it off the ship alive.

He opened her door and found Kia silently meditation next to the balcony window. She only opened her eyes when Jace approached her. She didn't seem upset in any way. Jace had always thought Kia would sense if her sister was KIA. This thought brought him hope.

"What's wrong, Jace?" She asked, concerned. She stood and walked up to him.

"Can you sense your sister?" He asked.

It was an odd question, but Kia closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. "I can feel her. She's far away, but she's calm. Why?"

Jace took Kia to sit on the couch. "We just got word from Captain Jorgan. Mia was meeting with Darth Marr onboard his flagship. They were attacked by a large, well organized fleet. They were outnumbered significantly and Marr's ship was taking heavy damage. Mia was separated from her team and she ordered them to leave her behind. We're sending ships out to investigate, but we don't have high hopes of finding anything when we get there but debris."

"But she's still alive, Jace, I can feel her." Kia said, standing up quickly. Jace remained seated, allowing the Jedi to move around freely. "I'd know if she were dead."

"Then she either made it to an escape pod or was captured." Jace watched Kia pace. She then sat down in a chair and closed her eyes.

"She's very calm right now. She might be unconscious, but she's definitely alive."

"Then we'll find her. I hate to ask, but if…"

Kia smiled at Jace weakly. "If I sense her die, I'll let you know." She looked down at her hands. "You'll know."

Jace understood. Jedi or not, if Mia were to die, Kia would be inconsolable. Kia wouldn't need to use words to confirm it. He prayed they found her sister alive.

* * *

Jace rubbed his temples as the group of generals left his office after another tedious meeting to discuss how to deal with the Eternal Empire. It had been nearly six months since Darth Marr's flagship was attacked and destroyed. They had searched the surrounding moons and planets near the wreckage of the battle for escape pods, but they only found a handful. None of them contained the missing Havoc commander.

Things started to spiral out of control from there. The Eternal Empire fleet seemed to be everywhere at once. Nothing in the Republic military was fast enough or powerful enough to compete with the sheer overpopulation of ships sent by them. The only consolation to Malcom was the fact the Sith Empire was being just as overwhelmed.

Kia had continued to sense her sister for a month after she sent her team away, though the Jedi couldn't pinpoint any information other than she was still alive. After that first month, however, something happened. Kia kept insisting Mia was still alive, but she couldn't sense her anymore. She hadn't sensed her die, she was just gone. Kia couldn't explain it.

Jace didn't tell Kia what he was thinking. He honestly thought Major Wryn was dead, he just didn't have the heart to talk to Kia about it. He hid his feelings from her the best he could, though he didn't have to worry too much. Kia was extremely stressed and her empathy was skewed as a result.

He had been working closely with Director Trant and Grandmaster Shan to come up with some defense to the onslot, while Master Wryn sat in the Jedi council meditation chamber, trying to sense her sister. She was hiding it well, but Jace knew Kia was getting desperate. She wasn't ready to admit that Mia was gone. Not yet.

Fortunately, the grandmaster was still on Tython, so Jace could be worried about Kia without blowing their cover.

Once the final meeting was over, Jace headed straight to the Jedi council room. Most days, he had to almost force Kia to go home to eat and sleep. Today, he walked in to find her in the main chamber, sitting in one of the chairs quietly. As he approached, he saw a single tear had stopped midway down her cheek.

"Ki?" He asked softly, kneeling by her.

"She's gone." Kia whispered, not moving to look at Jace, but also not pulling away.

"You felt her die?" He asked, placing a hand on her leg.

Kia shook her head. "No. It's the same as it's been for the last five months. Alive or dead, we're no longer connected." She paused and another tear joined the first one, allowing it to roll the remaining distance down her cheek. "I'm alone."

Jace made a slight effort to look around to make sure they were alone in the room. The Jedi council chamber was usually only used when members of the council were on Coruscant, save for Kia, who used them to talk to the council and to meditate. There were no members of the council on planet, at the moment, so they were alone and would most likely stay that way.

He pulled Kia to him, so both of them were kneeling on the ground. "You are not alone. I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere."

"You think Mia's dead." Kia said softly, still holding onto Jace as if he were the only thing keeping her sane.

"I…" Jace started.

"It's alright. You're just being realistic and I love you for humoring me all this time. I don't think I'll ever truly believe she's dead, but I know I need to move on. I need to get back into this fight, to help stop those which took her away from me." She looked up at Jace and he could still see the slight twinkle of hope in her emerald eyes. "If she's still alive, the Eternal Empire is the key to finding her."

Kia rose to her feet and Jace joined her, the vulnerable, heartbroke woman gone. She leaned in and kissed him, not even worrying if anyone was in the room to see. The kiss lasted a solid minute and was anything but subtle.

"I'm ready to get back to work. I can do it, as long as you're there with me when I go home."

Jace smiled down at her. "I always will be."

To Be Continued...


	32. Chapter 32

New chapter up! Thanks for reading.

* * *

Captain Jorgan read the message over again for the fifth time. He had known the order was coming, he just wasn't ready for it. Not yet.

He had taken command of Havoc Squad after Major Wryn's disappearance and their primary mission now was to feel out this new Eternal Empire. This was an enemy worth fighting, that was for sure, but it wasn't the same. The team wasn't the same.

Vik and Yuun both expressed interest in leaving, for different reasons of course. Yuun wanted to leave to do his own search for the major. He had his own unique way of seeing the world. A way which might help find their missing commander, if he was allowed to be unrestrained. Vik's reasons were less than pure, or so Jorgan believed. He'd always been more of a crime lord, than a soldier.

This official order was the final nail in the coffin for Havoc as it stood under Major Wryn. Mia couldn't be missing in action forever.

Dorne walked into the room, taking a seat next to her CO. "Any news from command?" She asked. She had been almost as impacted by the major's disappearance as Jorgan. They had bonded over being the only two females onboard and had become good friends.

"I'm getting promoted to Major." he replied, not looking away from the datapad.

Dorne sighed. "So, it's finally happening. They're officially declaring Mia dead. And dissolving the team, I'm guessing?"

Jorgan nodded. "There's going to be a service for her on Coruscant in two weeks. As for the team, both Vik and Yuun are being allowed to leave with honorable discharges. 4X is being reassigned and you…"

"I'm being drummed out entirely." She replied, not sounding surprised.

"I plan to fight it, Elara. You're a good soldier and medic. If I have my way, you'll stay with Havoc."

Dorne almost snorted. "With Saresh in control, you won't win. I have an accent, so I have no place in the Republic."

This made Jorgan angry. Yes, Dorne was once Imperial. Yes, she was sometimes annoying with all her detail to rules and regulations. But she was also a very good soldier, totally loyal and dedicated to the Republic and had jumped through every hoop to be granted her official citizenship. There was a time when Jorgan would have agreed with the supreme chancellor, but now he knew Saresh's plan to hold down former Imperials would only hurt the Republic when they needed as many loyal soldiers as they could manage.

Jorgan looked up and turned to Dorne. "I have an idea about that, if you agree. I plan to talk to Master Wryn about your dismissal from the military. From how Mia spoke, she has the ear of the supreme commander. Saresh can't dismiss you, if it goes against the wishes of Jace Malcom."

Dorne almost blushed. "I'd near ask you to do that, Sir."

"You don't need to ask, Elara. We need soldiers like you, even if Saresh doesn't see it. The Republic military is better with you in it."

"Thank you, Sir. That's nice to hear coming from someone such as yourself." Elara said, clearing her throat and standing. She wasn't an emotional person, but at that moment, she was holding some back. "I'll set course to Coruscant, with your permission."

Jorgan nodded. Once Dorne was out of the room, Jorgan turned back to his datapad. He started to compose a letter to Kia. He hadn't spoken to his wife's sister since before her disappearance, so he wasn't sure what he was going to say to her. He'd ask her to talk to Malcom about Elara, but he felt he needed to say more. He needed to say something more personal, though he wasn't good at such things, but Kia was his only link to Mia. He needed to say something...

* * *

To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33

New chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

Kia had a lot of work to do, once she stopped spending all her time trying to sense her sister. She had been lax in her responsibilities and had been a poor example of a Jedi master. Master Satele had gladly covered for her, being unusually understanding of Kia's emotional difficulties, but she felt bad forcing the council to lose their representative simply because she couldn't master her emotions.

She had been reading a report from the SIS when she got a very curious message from Captain Jorgan. She had never been close to her brother in law, but it seemed he was making an effort, since Mia went missing. The message had been mostly business, but there had also been a heartfelt note attached at the end. He understood that Kia was the only other person who could even come close to feeling how he felt.

It angered Kia to hear of Elara Dorne's dismissal from the military. From what her sister said, the former Imperial was a model soldier and completely dedicated to the Republic. Saresh was getting more and more controlling by the day. It gave Kia a bad feeling. The chancellor was starting to go down a dark path and seemed determined to take the Republic with her.

Kia, not wanting to seem too familiar, had made a formal appointment with Jace. This was a business call, anyway, so it seemed appropriate. His receptionist asked Kia to sit down in the waiting room, saying the commander was currently in a meeting.

Kia sat in one of the six chairs, not being surprised she had to wait. Jace had been extremely busy since the Eternal Empire had hit the scene. The situation had put a bit of a strain on their relationship, that and her spending most of her days meditating to find Mia. They were both trying, but things weren't as carefree as they had been in the beginning. Nothing was simple anymore.

About ten minutes later, the door to Jace's office opened and a handful of military heads came out, looking somber. There was very little joy in the Republic as of late. With the Sith Empire, the Republic knew they could win. With the Eternal Empire, things weren't so confident. They were very big, very strong bullies and there had yet been a sure fire way of fighting them. Every tactic used by the Republic and the Jedi had only led to failure.

Jace appeared at the door and gave Kia a tired smile. "Come on in, Master Jedi." He said, waiting by the door until Kia walked in, the door closing behind them.

Kia turned and sighed. She had never viewed Jace as old, even with the twenty eight year age difference, but in that moment, he looked it. He looked tired and worn down. The stress was getting to him, she could tell.

"That bad?" She asked, not taking a seat just yet.

Jace walked up to her, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. He gave her a slightly larger smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Probably worse, but it's nothing more than you already know."

Kia closed her eyes and nuzzled into his hand, placing her hand over his. "I miss you. I'm sorry I checkout for so long."

The words made his smiled bigger. "I love you, Ki. There is nothing to apologize for. There never was." He pulled her into a hug and she melted into it. "I think we need to go home. Just spend the rest of the day together."

Kia smiled, though Jace couldn't see it. "I'd like nothing more, but I do need to talk to you about something official."

Jace broke the hug, kissing her on the forehead, then returned to his chair. Kia pulled a datapad out of her robe and handed it to Jace, taking a seat across from him. The message was the one Jorgan had sent her, minus the personal stuff about Mia. He didn't need to read that part.

"Sergeant Dorne is an exceptional officer, a loyal member of the Republic, regardless of her roots and was one of Mia's best friends. If we push all former Imperials out of the military, we will be worse for it. Is there anything you can do?"

Jace sighed. "The chancellor is trying to do what is best for the Republic."

"Turning away loyal soldiers, just because they used to fight for the Empire? It's ludicrous, particularly now. The real enemy is the Eternal Empire. Turning on our own will only weaken us. This is not best for the Republic, I can feel it."

"The order has already gone through, but considering her rank and current position, I'll do something for her. She can't stay with Havoc, but I agree that she is a good soldier and it would be a waste to lose her." Jace replied.

"If you agree, then why aren't you fighting for the other soldiers being demoted and dismissed? You're the Supreme Commander of the military, for crying out loud. If you won't stand up for them, who will?"

Jace stood, turning his back to Kia, placing his arms behind his back. He stood, silent for several long seconds. "Because I don't totally disagree with the order."

Kia's jaw dropped. Her silence made Jace turn. The look on her face must have spoke volumes.

"It's a dangerous time, Kia. We can't take any chances that one of those former Imperials decides to change their mind, while we're vulnerable."

"I can't…" Kia started, but ended up closing her mouth and remained silent. She was so shocked, she couldn't find the right words. Jace's statement shouldn't have surprised her, considering he truly hated the Sith Empire, but actually hearing the words come out of his mouth. She could feel his hate for them. She could also feel a small spark of compassion. Jace was in a difficult spot and it showed in his emotions.

Kia didn't argue, she simply stood to leave. With only a slight hesitation, she walked quietly towards the door.

"Kia, wait."

"I need to go. Thanks for helping with Elara."

Jace wanted to stop her, but the door was already open, so he had to go back to being the Supreme Commander. Once the door was closed, he took a seat, resting his head in his hands. He didn't think he was in the wrong, but it sure felt like he was. His hatred for the Empire had been partially to blame for Satele leaving him. He hoped, now that he had two enemies to hate, that he wouldn't lose Kia as well.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	34. Chapter 34

New chapter up. This one will have some interactions between Kia and Aric. Enjoy.

* * *

Jace went directly to Kia's apartment at the end of the day. It was late, almost midnight, and he was tired. All he wanted to do was fall asleep with Kia in his arms, but he wasn't sure if that was possible anymore.

Kia hadn't answered her holo all day and she hadn't returned to talk to him, either. He didn't know if she was even interested in seeing him right now, but he couldn't just go home. He needed to fight for the woman he loved. He couldn't do what he had done with Satele, just letting her walk away without argument. His interactions with Kia earlier in the day were too much like how things ended with Satele and that thought scared him.

The apartment was dark and, for a moment, he thought maybe Kia wasn't there, but when he entered her bedroom he found her lying in her bed, her back to him. He thought she was asleep, but she turned around and locked eyes with him. Jace didn't see any anger in them.

"Long day." Kia said. It wasn't a question. She looked so tired.

Jace sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "One of the longest of my life."

"I'm sorry I walked out on you today. I was just finding your emotions a little hard to take in. I've had a hard time with my empathy since Mia disappeared, but that's no excuse to leave as I did." Kia sounded just as tired as Jace felt. "Undiluted hate has never been an easy emotion for me to handle and, I'm sorry to say it, but sometimes you have quite a bit of hate in you."

"I'm sorry for being so blunt. I was just…"

Kia smiled up at him. "You were being honest. You feel the way you feel. You've seen too much war and death in your life to simply disregard your beliefs and your feelings, even for me. I understand." She sat up and placed a hand on his cheek, much like he had done to her earlier in the day. "I don't like how the former Imperials are being treated, or your attitude towards it. I probably never will, but I understand. Can we just agree to disagree and move to the part where we hold each other until we fall asleep?"

Jace leaned in and kissed her gently. He was willing to do almost anything to prevent her from leaving a room in anger again. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

One week later, Kia stood on her balcony, looking out over the bustling city. She was dressed in a more formal robe than usual, opting for a long, dress like, light green robe, rather than her tunic she usually wore. This outfit wasn't for battle. This outfit was for mourning.

She wasn't ready to give up on her sister, but she understood how the military worked. They couldn't keep her status as MIA indefinitely. This ceremony was to honor Mia's service to the Republic she loved and gave her life to protect. They were also granting her the rank of Colonel. Kia didn't understand the military's need to promote the dead, like a soldier would actually care what rank they are after their death. It was meant as a show of respect, but it still didn't make much sense to Kia.

Almost reluctantly, she left her balcony, closing the door behind her. She wished Jace could be there with her, but with Kia being the honorees twin sister, all eyes would be on her today, even with Jorgan in attendance. Not many people knew he had been married to his CO, but it was plainly obvious Kia was her sister.

Jace and Kia had decided to attend the service separately, so as not to give away their relationship. At that moment, Kia was beginning to think it would be worth the council finding out about them, if he could be there with her, holding her hand. He was attending and speaking at the service, of course, but it wasn't the same.

With a final deep breath and a quick recitation of the Jedi code to calm herself, she left her apartment and headed to the square, where the service was to be held. None of the masters from Tython would physically be in attendance, but they would be via holo. Kia was happy about that. Force sense was less sensitive over distances.

Kia didn't remember much about the world around her as she sat through the service. Jace spoke, as well as General Lussic, the new commander of special forces. Kia could see Aric Jorgan sitting a few seats over. His emotions were chaotic, to say the least, though you would never be able to tell from looking at him. The cathar was the pinnacle of calm on the outside.

The whole thing was harder than Kia had ever thought possible, but she maintained her composure. As soon as it was over, she slipped out to a quiet part of one of the side gardens next to the senate tower as the crowd dispersed. She kept running the Jedi code through her mind, trying desperately to control her emotions, to find some form of balance. She was half way through her fifth time through the code when she felt Jace approach.

She opened her eyes, just as he took her hand and led her into a shadowy corner of the garden, out of direct view. Once they were out of sight, he pulled her to him. As soon as she was secured in his arm, she began to tremble, the Jedi code forgotten. Kia simply let him hold her, not caring about anything else.

"It's alright." He said quietly. "Just breath."

After several minutes, Jace could feel Kia take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She pulled away, straightening her robe. "I'm okay."

Jace looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure?"

Kia closed her eyes, taking another deep breath. "Yes. I just needed you." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "And you came."

"You didn't need to be an empath to sense you were about to lose it during the ceremony. Or maybe, I just know you better than most."

Kia continued to look at Jace, but she seemed to almost be looking through him, past him. "Right now, I have a more pressing concern. If what I'm sensing is correct, Aric is about to get himself thrown out of the military...very publicly."

"You take care of your brother in law and I'll deal with the chancellor and the general." He paused for a few breaths, giving Kia a worried look. "You're sure you're okay?"

"No. But I think I will be."

Jace nodded, understanding her meaning, and they both headed towards the commotion coming from where the service had been held. They found the newly promoted commander of Havoc Squad arguing with Chancellor Saresh and General Lussic. They could tell the chancellor was losing her patience...not that she had much to begin with when it came to emotions.

"I'm just saying, Sir, I think declaring the Major KIA is being premature."

"It's been almost a year, Major. You're letting your personal feelings get in the way of reality. You can't let go." Lussic said calmly, his experience with being in command showing in his demeanor. "I know you were close, but…"

Jorgan almost growled and started to reply, but was interrupted when Kia placed a hand on the cathar's arm.

"Excuse me, Chancellor, General, can I borrow my brother in law for just a moment?" She asked, using the Force to nudge everyone to a calmer state.

"Of course, Master Jedi." Lussic said with a nod. "And I'm very sorry for your loss."

Kia smiled weakly at the general. He was being genuine with his sympathy and she appreciated it. Kia had found the new special forces commander to be just as iron willed as Garza, but just a tad less rigid. He reminded Kia of Jace at times.

"That's very kind of you, General. If you'll excuse us." Kia took Aric gently by the arm and pulled him away towards the speeders docking area, while Jace strolled up to take Jorgan's place. Once they were out of sight and sound of everyone, she stopped and turned him to face him.

"Do you honestly think you'll do anyone any good by getting yourself a psych discharge?"

Aric snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't believe Mia's dead anymore than I do."

"Yes, but I'm not going to go screaming it from the highest towers, either. The council would have me reporting back to Tython in a second. If you want to do what's best for everyone, Mia included, you'll stop fighting the brass and just do your job. If Mia's still alive, she's out there, probably somewhere Havoc Squad is likely to be sent. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement."

Aric actually chuckled. "There's the Jedi in you. I was wondering when she'd come out."

Kia just rolled her eyes. "Come on." She took Aric by the arm again and headed towards the speeder dock. "We're getting a drink."

"I didn't know Jedi drank." Aric replied, allowing Kia to drag him along without argument.

"We normally don't, but right this minute, I need a drink...and so do you."

Without another word, they boarded a speeder and headed out into Coruscant.

* * *

To Be Continued


	35. Chapter 35

New chapter up. A little Aric and Kia bonding. Enjoy!

* * *

The hole in the wall dive Kia took Aric to was in the middle of what had once been blacksun territory. The outside of the establishment was old, dirty and not at all appealing. One would never guess it housed a bar or any other organization which required a certain level of general hygiene.

Jorgan half expected to find the place full of spice peddlers and mercenaries, but to his surprise, the only occupants were a half dozen senate aids loudly complaining about their bosses and two off duty Republic military officers, talking quietly over mugs of ale. The bartender, a green skinned Mirialan with diamond tattoos over his eyes, looked up from the datapad he was reading when they entered, smiling at Kia.

"Nice to see you again, Master Jedi. The usual?" He asked, already fetching a bottle of deep red liquor from the shelf behind him and a glass from below the bar.

Kia gave him a half smile as they reached the bar. "Yes, please, and whatever my friend here would like. You can go ahead and put them on my tab."

Jorgan leaned in and ordered a Corellian whiskey. Once the drinks arrived, Jorgan headed to a table at the far back of the bar. Kia picked up her drink and turned to follow, but then turned back to the bartender. "Keep them coming, will ya Stonni?"

Stonni nodded understandingly as Kia followed Jorgan to the quiet table, sitting across from him. No doubt he had heard about the service for Mia.

"I had no idea this place was here." Aric said, taking a long pull of his drink. "It's not what you would expect from the outside. Or from the neighborhood, for that matter."

"Very few people know about this bar. It caters to those of us who work at the senate tower. It's nice to be able to go somewhere and have a nice quiet drink. It's also good for discreet conversations, not to mention what you order is what you get. No watered down drinks here." Kia motioned towards the bartender. "Stonni is the cousin of one of the Jedi researchers from the senate tower. Good guy."

"You come here often?" Jorgan asked.

"Not normally, but as of late…" Kia thought about her words. "...let's just say, I've needed a quiet drink a lot more often. Meditation is fine and all, but sometimes I just want to turn off my mind. The emotions of the city are more negative than they used to be, since the Eternal Empire came on the scene. It's taxing for someone like me."

Jorgan nodded, closing his eyes for a moment, letting out a long sigh. He had been on edge since Kia drug him from the ceremony and she was pleased to see he was relaxing, even just a little bit.

"Better now?" Kia asked.

"I'll need more than one drink to feel better, but I no longer feel like yelling at the brass." Jorgan opened his eyes and looked at Kia. "Thanks for that."

"Not a problem. The way I see it, if Mia were here, she'd want us to stick together." She took a sip of her drink. "Besides, it's less worrisome for us to be drinking together, rather than alone. You drink with a friend and you're being social. You drink alone and you have a problem."

They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes. The bar had music playing, but it wasn't loud and the other patrons were being relatively quiet, by bar standards. The senate aids were starting to get drunk enough that their voice volume was almost a yell, but it was only one conversation, easily ignored.

"I did want to thank you for Elara. She's being forced out of Havoc, but I hear the supreme commander is assigning her to a personal task force he's putting together. I'm guessing you had something to do with her reassignment."

Kia chuckled lightly. "When I got your message, I spoke with Jace, yes. He's not totally against what's happening to former Imperials in the military, but he listens to me." She shrugged. "Of course, I have a bit more pull with the man than most. We've been sleeping together for almost six years."

Jorgan's jaw dropped. Kia had said the last bit quietly, but without any kind of hesitation. After a few stunned seconds, Jorgan laughed. "So that was what you and Mia were talking about on those occasions when she asked me to leave the room."

"And I would appreciate it if you would keep it to yourself. It's not like we can be public about it. The Jedi council still frowns on such things. It would be...complicated...for both of us if our relationship were to get out."

"My lips are sealed." He replied, finding a new appreciation for the relationship he had with Mia. They didn't announce their marriage loudly, but they didn't need to go out of their way to hide it, either. It had to be rough, keeping the secret and always having to be careful around each other. "So, instead of being home, being comforted by a man who obviously cares for you, you're sitting in a bar, getting drunk with a man you hardly know?"

Kia shrugged. "Pretty much. Mia would want us to stick together, and honestly, you're technically the only family I have left."

Jorgan nodded, having a new found respect for his wife's sister. He had always thought of Kia as a Jedi and little else. "Only family, until we find Mia."

"Until we find Mia. And we will. Mark my words, Aric, we will find her."

Jorgan raised his glass and Kia did the same, then they finished their drinks in a single gulp. As if on cue, Stonni returned, carrying a fresh drink for each of them, exchanging glasses, then returning to the bar.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Three hours later, Kia deposited Aric on her sofa, where the cathar passed out almost immediately. The two had matched each other, drink for drink, but Kia had been using a Jedi detoxification technique to keep herself reasonably sober. She figured, by the end of the night, her brother in law would need help getting home. As it was, she had to use all her strength and some of her Force powers to get him to her apartment.

Once she was sure he was situated, Kia took the throw off the back of her sofa, placed it over the sleeping man, then headed to her room to make a call. It was late, after two in the morning, but the holo only beeped once before being answered.

"Waiting up for me, I see." Kia said.

"Have a good night?" Jace asked.

"Well, I have an extremely drunk cathar passed out on my sofa, so not a bad night. He'll have a headache in the morning, but I think he needed a drink just as much as I did. I'd ask you to come over, but it's probably best if I just see you tomorrow. I told Aric about us, but I think waking up to one of your commanding officers when you've had one too many the night before would just be awkward."

Jace laughed, nodding. "You're probably right. Are you doing alright?"

"Yes, I'm doing surprisingly well. Ask me again tomorrow, after Aric leaves, and I might feel differently, but right now, I just want to sleep. Jedi detox removes most of the alcohol from your system, but not all. And trust me, there was a lot of alcohol consumed tonight."

"In that case, get some rest and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too Jace. And…" Kia paused, sighing. "...thank you for today. I'm not sure how I would have made it through without you."

"I'm here for you. I always will be." Jace replied.

Kia could sense his honesty and love, even from the distance between them. She almost started to cry from the emotions. "Good night Jace."

The glow of the holo stopped and Kia quickly composed herself as she changed into something better to sleep in and climbed into bed. She only missed Jace for a minute before the alcohol in her system lulled her to sleep.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	36. Chapter 36

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

The next morning, Kia woke up at eight. She knew Aric had a meeting with General Lussic to start choosing the new members of Havoc Squad and she didn't want him to be late or nursing a hangover. It was her idea for him to get drunk in the first place, so she felt responsible for his recovery, as well.

Kia got out of bed, pulling on a robe and headed out to the kitchen. Jorgan was still peacefully asleep on her sofa. She almost felt bad for having to wake him.

Once the caf was ready, she poured a mug and headed into the living room, sitting on the table across from the sofa, placing the mug on the table next to her. She then, very gently, touched Aric on the shoulder and shook lightly. Fortunately, Jorgan was much like Jace when it came to waking up, he opened his eyes quickly, but gently. He sat up quickly, as well, but he groaned when we reached an upright state, placing his head in his hands.

"How much did we drink last night?" He asked, not looking up. "My head feels like it's going to implode. I don't even remember leaving the bar."

"Probably more than we should have. Caf?" Kia held the mug of caf out to Aric. He lifted his head and took the mug with an appreciative smile.

"How is it you look so bright and chipper? You drank just as much as I did and you're half my size." He asked, taking a sip of his drink, savoring the hot liquid. He still rested his elbows on his knees.

Kia shrugged. "Jedi powers are for more than just the battlefield or the diplomatic table."

Aric almost growled. This reaction made Kia smile.

"I can help you with your hangover, if you'd like."

Aric nodded. "Please."

Kia lifted her hand towards Aric, closing her eyes to draw on the Force. Her hand began to glow slightly. A few seconds later, Kia could feel Aric's emotions improve, as his pain was diminished.

"That's much better." He sat up straighter and took another pull from his mug. "You could market that power, ya know. I know some soldiers who would kill to be able to remove a hangover in seconds."

Kia stood and headed back to the kitchen, returning with a mug of caf of her own. She sat in one of her armchairs, sipping the drink slowly. "It's a bit ironic, those who can heal a hangover are also those who very rarely get them in the first place. Most Jedi aren't known for being heavy drinkers. There's no real rule against it, but keeping composure is challenging when alcohol is involved. Detox techniques only go so far."

"It seems like you planned this all out. The bar, the drinking, the hangover."

"I kinda did." Kia admitted with a smile. She put her mug on the table, stood and took a seat next to Aric. "You're stressed out. You've been trying to function as the commanding officer of a squad, while still trying to deal with a very heavy emotional burden. And like most men…and most soldiers...you like to bottle up those emotions rather than deal with them. Trust me, I know. I'm practically living with a particularly stubborn soldier. Getting almost passed out drunk allowed you to relax and let out those pent up emotions. True, it probably wasn't the healthiest stress management tool, but I think you'll find you can move forward better now."

"I hope so." He replied "I need to start forming my new squad in about an hour." He gulped down his remaining caf, placing the mug on the table. "In fact, I think I should be heading back to the ship. I need to change before I head over to the general's office."

Kia stood and walked Aric to the door. Before opening the door, Aric pulled her into a hug, which surprised the Jedi.

"Thanks again, for everything."

Kia hugged him back. "Anytime. Just promise me, if you find anything about Mia, you'll let me know."

"I will, if you do the same." He replied.

Kia nodded.

Aric opened the door and with a final smile left the apartment. Kia closed the door behind him, feeling very satisfied. Mia would have appreciated her looking out for her husband.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	37. Chapter 37

New chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

The weeks went by, and things weren't getting any better for the Republic. Chancellor Saresh reached the term limitation of her office and had been replaced by a man named Jebevel Madon. Though many hoped he'd be more reasonable than his predecessor, he turned out to be just like her. Infact, many argued he was only a puppet to Saresh, who was still running things in the background. There was no proof, of course, the crafty Twi'lek was too smart to leave a trail or evidence.

Jace sat in his office, discussing the most recent special forces mission with General Lussic. Though the mission had been deemed a success, having managed to extract a good deal of information about the Alliance from the Zakulian base, they had lost half of their soldiers and a Jedi.

General Lussic remained perfectly silent, watching as Commander Malcom read over the report from the mission. He wasn't sure why, but the commander seemed overly eager to hear about the details. It was odd, but then, many things were odd these days. Everyone was more on edge, mainly because the Republic was losing this war. Nobody had the courage to say it, but everyone was thinking it.

"The losses are unacceptable, considering the value of the intel." Malcom said soberly.

Lussic nodded. "I agree. If the chancellor hadn't sanctioned the mission himself, I would have nixed it before it even made it to your ears. It was a stupid waste of resources we can't afford. Not to mention, we lost another Jedi. Their ranks are starting to get a little thin."

Malcom nodded. He hated the loss of life, but he was thankful Kia was still alive. She had gone on the mission, along with the spec ops team and another Jedi. When he heard the team had lost one of their Jedi during the fight, Jace's heart had stopped for a moment until it was confirmed that Master Wryn hadn't been among the dead.

Before they could discuss the mission further, there was a commotion from outside the office. Suddenly, the door opened and Master Wryn rushed in with a purpose. Malcom's secretary was right behind her, being completely ignored by the Jedi. Both Malcom and Lussic stood.

"I'm sorry, Commander, she wouldn't wait." The young woman apologized.

"It's alright, Lilian, she's fine." Malcom replied.

Lilian nodded with an unsure look, leaving the office, the door closing behind her. Malcom didn't need to be empathic to know Kia was angry. She was still dressed in her fighting tunic, a dark reddish stain along the side looked like blood. It was odd that she wouldn't have changed clothes, since it took a full day to get back from the base they had been sent to raid.

"We need to talk. Now." She said, looking between the two men. She paced back and forth like a caged animal. The look in her eye was wild. It wasn't the look of a Jedi master. "At this rate, we won't need to worry about the Eternal Empire or the Sith causing the extinction of the Jedi. The Republic is doing a wonderful job killing us off for them!"

Her words weren't a yell, but there was a passion in them that made both men shiver. Obviously, Kia wasn't controlling her powers of persuasion very well. She had a talent for calming people down, but she could also do the opposite, make them angry or fearful, if she wasn't careful. At this moment, Kia was not being careful.

"Calm down, Master Jedi. We heard about what happened on the mission." Malcom said, trying to sound reassuring.

Kia scoffed. "Mission? That wasn't a mission! That was a trap! It was plain as day, the moment we got briefed, yet we got sent in anyway." She continued to pace, though she wasn't looking at anyone in particular anymore. "I wasn't even supposed to go. HE was just going to send Knight Ballo. If I had listened to the chancellor and stayed home, you would have lost all of the squad! And for what! For intel we could have gotten by simply knocking on the Alliance's door and asking to talk! But NO, we had to go on this suicide mission, which cost us three soldiers and one Jedi! All because that naive, spineless, son of a hutt is following HER directive!"

Both men knew who Kia was talking about.

"Master Kia, there's no proof of…" Lussic began.

"No proof!" Kia yelled, picking up a small table which was next to the sofa and flinging it with a flick of her hand, sending it across the room to smash against the far wall. Both the general and the commander ducked out of reflex, decades of military training kicking in automatically, even though the table flew high enough over their heads to not be a threat. "The proof is all around us! You just need to open your damn eyes to see it!"

Lussic, again out of reflex more than true desire, reached for his sidearm. Malcom saw the move and lifted a hand for the general to stop the motion. He didn't need to provoke the Jedi into doing something in a fit of rage she'd regret later. Jace knew Kia was more than capable of deflecting a blaster bolt at the owner of the blaster without the aid of her lightsaber.

Jace lifted his hands into the air, as if to show Kia he wasn't armed. He slowly made his way around his desk, walking towards her. "Master Kia...Ki...just relax." He used the name he only called her in private, considering shortened nicknames weren't commonly used when speaking to a Jedi Master. Jace decided to risk the blatant familiarity in front of the general, rather than watch the woman he loved fall to the darkside before his eyes. Truth be told, that was exactly what he was witnessing. "We're all on the same side. I know you're angry, we all are. Just breathe..." He looked over to Lussic. "Maybe you can step out? We'll finish our conversation later."

Lussic hesitated for a moment, but nodded, though he was reluctant to leave the supreme commander alone in a room with a crazed Force user. He slowly walked around Kia, hands in the air, giving Kia a wide berth as he slipped out the door, closing it behind him.

Kia didn't move an inch while the men shifted around her. Jace took it as a good sign.

"We're alone now, Ki." Jace said, just to say something. He honestly didn't know where he was going with this, but at least they were alone to figure it out.

Kia had her eyes closed and Jace could see her taking slow, deep breaths, calming herself. He put down his hands and took the last few steps so he was standing right in front of her. He gently placed a hand on her cheek and, thankfully, she turned her head into the touch. She was trembling.

"The Jedi who died...he was a friend, wasn't he?" Jace said, taking a guess at the source of her anger. Maybe not the source of all of her anger, but certainly the catalyst for her display. It was something she wouldn't admit in front of Lussic, no matter how angry.

Kia nodded, opening her eyes. All Jace could see in them this time was sadness. Pain.

"Remember when I told you I had only been with one man before you?" Kia said softly.

Jace's eyes widened.

"Knight Ballo...Dezrin... was the closest thing I had to a best friend on Tython. We only slept together one time. There was no spark or true feelings. I think we were more curious than anything. After that, we stayed friends. Watched out for each other. Had each other's backs." A slight sob escaped her lips and Jace's heart broke. "I failed him." She whispered, turning away. The fire of her anger was now gone, replaced with heart wrenching sorrow.

Jace turned her back around, pulling Kia to him as she fought tears. For her part, all that came from her were low sobs, her eyes remaining mostly dry.

"You didn't fail him, Ki. The Republic failed him." He hated to say it, but it was the truth. He pulled away just enough to look down at her. "It was a pointless mission, ordered by a man not thinking on his own and certainly not thinking about the best interests of the Republic."

They remained silent for a long time. Jace now had a better understanding why Jedi stayed away from attachments. Kia, the most level headed and gentle being, had become volatile and almost beligerate from losing a friend. A good friend, but still only a friend. What would she be like if she lost him in some tragic or horrific way? Jace guessed this was what had scared Satele enough to end their relationship so many years ago. He could only imagine the scale of destruction a Jedi Master, fueled by anger and grief, could rain down on their enemies or anyone who tried to stop them. Most likely, they wouldn't be able to separate friend from foe. Now he knew what Kia risked, what she potentially would lose, just by being with him. This new understanding made him love her even more.

Jace could feel Kia take a deep breath, hold it, then let it out slowly. She pulled out of the hug and he didn't protest. She had only let a tear or two slip out, which she wiped away, composing herself.

"Let me take you home. You need to get yourself cleaned up. You'll feel better." Jace said.

Kia shook her head. "I need to report back to the council. Master Gnost-Dural will be waiting for my holo."

I nodded. "Then I'm going with you. There is no way in hell I'm leaving you alone right now. Not after what I just witnessed."

Jace expected her to protest, but instead, he got a quick nod and Kia turned and headed out of the office. Jace followed close behind. He stopped to talk to his secretary, who looked almost more shaken than Kia, though she hadn't witnessed any of the Jedi's actions beyond the closed door. Obviously, Kia's uncontrolled power had rattled the poor girl.

"Cancel my next appointment. I'm going to accompany Master Wryn to speak with the Jedi council."

Lilian nodded, looking relieved to be doing something.

"Oh, and keep what you saw and heard here to yourself, alright?"

Again, the young woman nodded, returning her attention to the datapad. Jace continued to follow Kia out of the office. Around them, as they walked slowly up to the Jedi council chambers, people walked around oblivious to how close Kia had come to stepping over a line.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	38. Chapter 38

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Jace and Kia walked in silence to the lift to take them to the Jedi council chambers. It wasn't the most comfortable silence. Two senators with their aids left the lift when it arrived on their floor, so when they got on, they were alone.

"Jace, I'm …"

"It's alright, Ki. You don't need to say anything. I understand." He said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm not sure you do." Kia said quietly.

Jace reached over to halt the lift, then turned to Kia. "I think I do. I think I just witnessed, first hand, the reason why Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments."

Kia looked scared and ashamed. "I lost my balance. I could have seriously hurt both you and General Lussic. How could I live with myself if I hurt you, even by accident?"

Jace took both her hands, forcing her to turn to face him, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"But you didn't. You listened to me and pulled yourself back. You lost a friend and you reacted the way most living, breathing people would. I know Jedi like to pretend they don't form strong feelings for others, or for each other, but I think we both know that's not true. The only harm was to an end table I didn't particularly like anyway."

A communicator in the lift beeped and was followed by a concerned voice.

"Is everyone alright in there?"

"This is Supreme Commander Malcom. Yes, everything's fine, I just stopped the lift for a moment."

There was a slight pause. "...Oh, I'm sorry, Sir. We just noticed the lift was offline. We didn't know if it was intentional or a maintenance problem. We'll cancel the investigation and leave you to it." The communicator went dead and they stood in silence for a few moments.

"Gonna be alright?" Jace asked Kia. This time, she did meet his eyes.

"Yes."

Jace restarted the lift, allowing it to proceed to the top floor, though her yes didn't sound all too confident and there was more uncertainty in her eyes then he was comfortable seeing.

* * *

Jace stood off to the side as Kia dialed up Tython so he wouldn't be seen, since there was really no good reason for him to be there.

Kia waited for an answer, seeming almost back to her normal self. A few moments later, Gnost-Dural answered.

After Grandmaster Shan abdicated her title and took leave from the Order to follow the will of the Force, the Kel Dor had taken up temporary leadership of the Jedi, and was doing the best he could to keep the Jedi together, but he was nowhere near the level of the former Grandmaster. But, then again, there were very few Jedi who would ever be at her level of connection with the Force.

"Master Wryn, it's nice to see you alive and well." Gnost-Dural said. "How did the mission go?"

Kia sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment to collect herself. "We got the intel, Master, but we lost three soldiers...and Knight Ballo."

"Tragic news. I know you were good friends with him. How are you doing?" He asked, concerned. He knew his former padawan and Dezrin Ballo had been close during their younger years on Tython. They had trained and studied together. He often wondered if they had ever stepped over the friendship line, though they never gave him any reason to suspect it.

"It's been difficult. He was mortally wounded on the base and died a few hours after we escaped. The medic did all that he could, but his wounds were too great. I was by his side when he became one with the Force." Kia was keeping her voice steady and strong, not giving away her true pain to her former master, though he would have felt it, had he been physically in the room.

Gnost-Dural nodded.

"We'll have a funeral pyre when the other masters arrive." Said a familiar voice coming from one of the meditation rooms near the back of the chamber.

"Master Satele." Kia said, surprise clearly apparent in her voice. "It's good to see you alive. We were all beginning to think you were dead." Kia was genuinely happy to see the former grandmaster. She looked a little worse for wear, and a little older, but very much still alive.

"The Force took me to many places and I've learned a great deal, but it's time for what's left of our council to return to Coruscant. At least for now. Dezrin's death is a tragic loss to our order. Steps must be taken to prevent it from happening again. We are too close to extinction."

Kia was confused by Master Satele's reasoning, but she was also relieved. Things had been spiraling out of control for months. It would be nice to have more Masters around to help back her up. The new chancellor had been getting around the Jedi approval of missions by submitting reports after the mission was started and asking for Jedi assistance directly, not through the council. Kia had a feeling that was going to change.

"I must see the supreme chancellor. I have yet to meet the man, and I think we have many things to discuss. You should go home, Kia. Get cleaned up and reflect on what happened." Satele said, not even looking to Jace, though no doubt, she knew he was there.

Kia nodded. "I'll do that, master. It's good to have you back." Kia couldn't help but wonder if Satele knew about her slip. If she knew just how close Kia had come to crossing the line between light and dark. The former grandmaster must feel Kia's pain. It was even possible she felt Kia's loss of control in Jace's office.

Satele smiled, then turned and left the chamber.

"I'll see you soon, Kia." Gnost-Dural said with a bow. Kia bowed back and the holo closed down.

Kia stood, stunned, for a few moments as Jace walked up and stood beside her.

"Well, that was unexpected." He looked at Kia. "Did Satele seem off to you? Do you think she knows about what just happened?"

Kia shrugged. "Hard to say. She's one of the most powerful Force users to ever exist. You don't earn the title of Grandmaster for being unobservant. I lost total control up in your office, I can't imagine she didn't feel at least some of it. I don't know."

"Then why didn't she say anything?"

Kia shrugged again. "Maybe because you're here. Maybe she could feel my imbalance and didn't want to do anything to make my balance worse. Or, maybe, I'm completely wrong and she knows nothing about it."

Kia placed a hand over Jace's heart. She could feel it's steady rhythm, willing her heart to match.

"Right now, I'm physically and mentally exhausted. I just want to go home and do exactly what Master Satele suggested."

Jace could hear the exhaustion in Kia's voice and in her posture. He wished there was something he could do, but realized nothing within his power would do any good. He placed his hand over hers.

"I'll walk you home, then go back to my office. I'm sure you'd appreciate some time alone."

Kia just smiled up at Jace and allowed him to escort her back to her apartment.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	39. Chapter 39

New chapter up! Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

It had been two weeks since the Jedi council moved the Coruscant. They held a ceremony honoring Jedi Knight Dezrin Ballo and Kia hadn't handled the gathering very well. The supreme chancellor had attended and the Jedi master had a hard time keeping her feelings in check, knowing the man who pretty much caused the death of her friend was in attendance, faking sincere sympathy. He either didn't know Kia could feel his true feelings or he simply didn't care. The man very much had the attitude that he was untouchable.

Following the ceremony, Satele and Gnost-Dural were able to convince Kia to take some time to fully come to terms with everything, both of them, no doubt, sensing her instability. The council began to absorb her work, to the dismay of the chancellor, who could no longer wave off Jedi approval by saying Kia wasn't available for consultation and time was of the essence. Now, there were a dozen or so masters, available at all hours, to approve Jedi participation. A new policy issued to all active Jedi also prevented Jedi involvement in any military or SIS mission, unless approved by a member of the council or Master Wryn.

Kia sat quietly, sipping a drink at the little hole in the wall bar she had taken Aric Jorgan to on the day of Mia's funeral. She had been spending a great deal of time alone, meditating. Though she was calmer, she was still not fully at ease. Something big was coming.

Kia had no idea what that something was and, as usual, the Force was being stubbornly unclear. Jace had done all he could to help ease her tension, but even he was having very little luck. Infact, Kia was interacting with Jace very little, opting to remain alone. Even though he seemed to have put the incident in his office behind him, Kia hadn't. She was ashamed of her actions and Jace had become far too good at reading her emotions, even without the help of some special Force power.

Kia had come close to the darkside. Too close. She knew it would have been easy to just stroll into the supreme chancellor's office and assassinate him with a flick of her wrist, just as easily as she had thrown the table in Jace's office. Her subconscious need for Jace had been the only thing to stop her from following her anger down the dark path. This realization scared her more than she was willing to admit.

Kia sat with her back to the door. She didn't need to be pointed in that direction to know if someone came in looking for her. She'd be able to detect the relief of anyone searching for her. She wasn't hiding, but she hadn't told anyone where she was going, either.

* * *

Marcus Trant needed a drink. He wasn't usually one to drink in the middle of the day, but it had been an...interesting...few weeks. The arrival of the Jedi council had caused a bit of a stir with the chancellor. The man was very uneasy around Jedi, and now he wasn't able to avoid them, like he had been with Master Wryn. This was causing him to put more stress on the other branches of the government, including the SIS.

Trant walked into the bar, expecting to find it almost empty, considering it was only getting to be noon. He wasn't disappointed, as it seemed there were only three other people in the entire establishment. On the far right, there were two senate aids, sitting on either side of the booth, a half dozen datapads spread out between them. They were too deep in conversation to even look up at the new arrival.

On the far left sat one lone figure. Marcus had to do a double take, not recognizing Kia at first, sitting alone, nursing a glass of bright red liquid. He ordered a drink, then headed over to her.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked.

Kia looked up at him with a smile, though it looked forced.

"Not at all, Marcus. Please sit." she said, straightening up her posture, gesturing to the seat across from her.

"I'd say it's a little early to be drinking, but it'd be a touch hypocritical." He said, jokingly, taking the offered seat and placing his glass full of amber liquid in front of him on the table. "I haven't seen you much in the last few weeks. It seems like the tower is being overrun by Jedi, but you're never around."

"I guess you could say I've taken a sabbatical from my responsibilities, as of late."

Marcus nodded. "I heard you were friends with the Jedi killed recently. I'm sure it's been hard. Even Jedi have feelings." He knew about Kia's actions in the supreme commander's office several weeks back. He had been seeing Malcom's secretary off and on, and she had mentioned it, telling him what she had heard. He had inquired with Malcom and he had filled the director in on the situation, in confidence.

Kia sighed, looking down at her drink. "Knight Ballo was a good friend, yes. The master's thought I might benefit from some time to reflect on his death and I agreed with them. It's nice to have the council here, but I fear something big is about to happen. It just...feels like the calm before the storm. I know the other masters can sense it too."

"You might be right about that, but I do have some news which might cheer you up a bit."

Kia met Marcus's eyes, a look of curiosity on her face, but he could tell he had gotten her full attention.

"According to intel, former Chancellor Saresh has gotten herself arrested by the Alliance." He said, trying to not sound as happy about this news as he really was. Saresh hadn't made his life as SIS Director easy.

"Really? On what charge?"

"My source is telling me she colluded with an Imperial Minister to have both the Alliance Commander and the current Empress of the Sith assassinated, in an attempt to take over the position of Alliance Commander herself and cut the head off the Sith Empire."

Kia sat back in her chair, speechless.

"Reports say she was making some grand speech on the Alliance homeworld when the commander returned, not as dead as Saresh had planned. She hadn't waited to see if her assassins were successful before making her move." Marcus took a sip of his drink. "I'd say she's lucky not to have been executed."

"The Alliance Commander is far more forgiving than I would have been." Kia said softly.

Marcus was surprised by the comment. It wasn't a very Jedi-like or Kia-like thing to say, but he didn't comment.

"Is Madon doing anything to get her released?" Kia asked.

Marcus almost snickered. "He tried, but he was overruled by pretty much everyone. He's being forced to disavow her. He's sending a message to the Alliance commander, apologizing for Saresh's actions and assuring her that they were not the actions of the Republic."

Kia actually smiled. "That must have been hard, basically condemning the brains behind his position. We'll finally get a chance to see what kind of a person he is, now that he'll be thinking for himself."

"Indeed. Saresh being imprisoned can be nothing but good for the Republic. It was a long time in the making, that's for sure."

Kia raised her glass to Marcus. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	40. Chapter 40

New chapter up! A bit of Jace/Kia fluffy. Enjoy.

* * *

The weeks went by and Kia slowly came back to herself. Her grief faded and she was able to return to her work, though the council was still picking up the slack on off hours. This allowed Kia time to work on side projects, which included making things up to Jace, who had weathered her off moods without complaint or conflict.

With the council around, Jace had been forced to keep his distance, though they still saw each other most nights. Unfortunately, their time together consisted of few words. They slept side by side, but their waking hours were spent apart. They hadn't really had a real conversation in weeks.

Kia had made a late evening appointment with Jace, making sure it was his final meeting of the day and scheduling it to begin after his secretary's usual departure time. The act, in and of itself, wasn't unusual. They had worked late into the night many times over the years, but this was different. Kia needed to make things right with Jace and scheduling time seemed to be the logical thing to do, to ensure his full and undivided attention.

Kia walked in to find Lilian getting her things together to leave for the day. She smiled at the Jedi.

"Late night?" She asked.

"Looks like it might be. Heading home?" Kia asked.

Lilian nodded. "Yes. The Commander said I didn't need to stick around. Do you need anything before I go?"

Lilian was a very sweet woman. It was good to see she had gotten over the incident when Kia lost control. She had only witnessed bits and pieces, but even non-Force sensitives were able to sense something was off. Not to mention Kia was unconsciously altering the moods of everyone within range of Malcom's office.

"I'm fine, thank you. You have a good evening."

Kia didn't wait for her to leave, just entered Jace's office, allowing the door to close behind her.

Jace was behind his desk, looking stressed and worried. He looked up at Kia and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Kia didn't wait for him to speak, just crossed around his desk and when he pushed back away, she sat down across his lap, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder, so her face was nestled in his neck.

Kia felt Jace sigh as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm guessing this meeting isn't official in any way?" He said softly, sounding slightly amused.

Kia took a shaky breath, almost a sob. "I'm sorry." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"What could you possibly have to be sorry for?" She had been distant, as of late, but Jace couldn't think of anything she had done to him which warranted an apology. The presence of the Jedi council made things a little more tense for them and their relationship, but it wasn't anything they hadn't done before.

Kia remained quiet and Jace didn't comment. He let her sit quietly on his lap, rubbing circles on her back. After a few minutes, it felt like she had fallen asleep, but she quietly spoke.

"I shut down again, like when my sister went missing. I didn't think about how my actions might impact you. We've been together for the better part of ten years now and we've barely said two words to each other in weeks."

"I understand and it's fine." Jace said.

Kia sat up and looked at Jace. Her eyes were sad and tired. "It's not fine and you shouldn't have to understand."

"Ki, listen. Let's put the fact you're a Jedi aside for a second. You're empathic. You feel everything around you. You can't not. It's a gift and a burden you've needed to learn to live with and you've done an amazing job. But you're still young. You'll learn how to handle things like this more and more with time. I know sometimes you need to work things out on your own. I can handle those times. There is no need for you to feel like you should apologize."

Kia smiled up at him. "I love you, ya know."

Jace chuckled. "Good thing. I don't let just anyone sit in my lap." He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you too."

They continued to kiss for several minutes, its intensity increasing as the minutes passed. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. This was their first kiss in weeks that was more than just a passing peak on the lips.

"I think we should head home." Jace suggested, pressing his forehead against Kia's.

I sly smile spread across Kia's face. "Actually…" She waved her hand and Jace heard the manual mechanism on the door, used during emergency lockdowns, slide and lock into place. "...I was thinking we might just stay here."

"I like the way you think." Jace replied, kissing her more urgently. He lifted her into his arms, as if she weighed nothing, and headed over to the sofa to the side of his office. He was very thankful he hadn't gotten around to putting in a work request to have it removed.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	41. Chapter 41

Quick fluff chapter for ya. Enjoy

* * *

A couple of hours later, Jace sat on the right side of the sofa, with Kia's legs draped across his lap as she sprawled out along its length. He mindlessly ran his hand up and down her bare calf.

"Well, that was fun. It's convenient you wore a robe, rather than your normal pants. We didn't actually need to remove anything. Did you plan this?"

Kia chuckled happily. "I had the idea, but I didn't actually think we'd run with it. We've always been too cautious to be spontaneous away from our apartments."

"Well, I can cross this off my bucket list." Jace said.

Kia opened her eyes and looked up at Jace. "Bucket list? You're telling me sex in your office was something you wanted to do before you die?"

"In my office or at work, in general. I think that one is on most men's list of things they wish would happen."

Kia scoffed. "Men"

Jace laughed. It felt good to laugh. He'd had no reason to do so for months.

"If I had known, I'd have planned this out long ago. Is there anything else on your list I can help with?"

"No, I think I'm good, for now. We might need to revisit this item again sometime, though. At least it gives me a reason to keep this sofa. I think this might be the first time I've actually sat on it."

Kia sighed, turning her head and closing her eyes again. "It's sturdy, at least."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the afterglow and each other's company.

"We should probably go home, before we both fall asleep. It'll be hard to explain to Lilian why our meeting lasted all night and we look like we were thrown down a hill." Jace said

Kia reluctantly rolled her legs off his lap and sat down next to Jace, leaning against him. "Yeah, we'll go to your apartment."

She stood, straightening her robes while heading to the refresher to check her hair. Jace also stood and tucked his shirt in, straightening the collar. There were probably very few people in the senate tower that time of night, but neither of them wanted to look too disheveled, just in case they ran into anyone.

"Do you want to leave first and I'll follow in like ten minutes?" Jace asked. They had gotten very good at staggered departures. They left at the same time occasionally, but not too often to be suspicious.

Kia came out of the refresher, looking and feeling tired. "I'm getting tired of the charade and I honestly don't care who sees us anymore. We can leave together."

Jace was surprised, but didn't argue, unlocking the door. He turned off the dimmed lights of his office and followed Kia out the door. They didn't run into anyone on the way to the speeder bay, or in his building. It was a surreal feeling, just being together, like normal couples. Kia even took his arm while they walked, a gesture she'd never done before.

Jace could do nothing but smile the whole way, the war momentarily forgotten.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	42. Chapter 42

New chapter up. As usual, thanks for reading.

* * *

It was early in the morning and the room was still mostly dark, though there was enough light for Jace to see Kia's sleeping form. She always looked so peaceful when she slept.

When they got back to his apartment, they had showered and had made love again. This time, it was slow and gentle, focusing on the journey, rather than making a mad rush for the finish line, like in his office. It felt like forever since they connected so completely. He had missed her.

It had been a good day, but Jace was still worried. He didn't need a connection to the Force to feel the game pieces were starting to move. Something big was going to happen. He knew Kia had been feeling something coming for weeks. Sometimes, he just wished whatever it was would just happen, so they could move on.

Jace hadn't slept much. His mind was too busy to be restful. He had come to a decision, but wasn't sure if Kia would agree with it or not. He was going to go to the Jedi council and petition them to allow Kia to get married. They had been together for nearly ten years and he used to be satisfied with their secret relationship. Things were different now. He wanted to marry Kia. Her attitude that evening while leaving his office gave him hope that she was just as ready as he was for something more formal and was willing to work with the council to get it, rather than continue to hide it.

Jace dozed and was almost back asleep, when Kia's eyes flew open and she shot straight up, wide awake.

"Ki, what is it?" He asked, also sitting up.

Suddenly, he felt a tremor. He had fought in enough wars to know what it felt like when the surface of the planet was impacted by heavy weapons fire from a ship in the atmosphere. They both jumped out of bed, grabbing robes and ran to the balcony. Hovering above the senate tower and spaceport were dozens of ships from the Eternal Empire. They were firing on the area mercilessly.

Jace's holo began to chime. He answered it to see Grandmaster Satele on the other end.

"Commander, we have a situation."

"Let me guess, it's a couple dozen Eternal Empire ships out my back window, laying waste to the city."

"They're bombarding the senate tower and the senate spaceport mostly, though the surrounding areas are getting some of the impacts as well. We managed to get the outer shields up on the tower and the Jedi are working to get it evacuated before the shields fail. I've also sent Jedi to help evacuate the spaceport, but…"

"I'm on my way. Have you contacted General Thason?"

"He's here with me now." The image changed to show General Thason, the man in charge of the local defense troopers. He was a Zabrak in his late fifties, with a half dozen blunted horns circling his bald, tattooed head. "I've already scrambled ships to intercept, but it will take time to get them in position to help. Those damned ships just came out of nowhere. There was no communication, they just opened fire."

"Damnit. And most of the fleet is on the other side of the galaxy." Jace replied. "I'll meet you at the emergency war room."

"Understood, Sir." Thason replied with a salute. The image changed back to Satele. "I've been unable to contact Master Wryn."

"I'll see if I can round her up on my way."

"If you find her, tell her to meet with the Jedi at the spaceport. We could use her help."

Jace nodded and the holo went dead.

By then, Kia was already dressed and halfway out the door.

"I've gotta get to the spaceport." She said.

Jace caught her by the arm gently, pulling her to him. "Be careful." He said, giving her a worried look.

"You too." She replied, giving him a worried look of her own.

They kissed short, but deep. Jace quickly got dressed and they rushed out of the apartment together, only parting ways when they reached the speeders. Jace headed to the secret war room near the senate tower and Kia to the main senate tower spaceport.

The Eternal Empire was almost too powerful to fight, but they were going to save as many people as possible. If nothing else, they would go down swinging.

* * *

Once off the speeder, Kia sprinted at Jedi speed to the spaceport. There was already a large crowd of people running for cover. She could see several Eternal Empire ships firing on the building. Fortunately, the fire wasn't consistent. The ships seemed to be firing at random, so the attack, while still deadly, was less effective.

At the entrance, she ran into Attros and two members of the council as they raced out with a bunch of people, carrying some of the younger ones.

"I think we got everyone." Said one of the Jedi. All three Jedi were covered in dust and debris. Several of the people who followed the Jedi had minor injuries, holding arms close to their bodies or limping slightly. Almost everyone had at least a few scratches and small cuts.

Kia stopped and reached out with the Force. At first, she thought they were right, but when she reached out further with her gift, and felt five terrified emotions. Their fear was screaming at her.

"No, there are still some people in there. Near the back."

Kia ran into the spaceport, with Attros close on her heels after passing the child he was carrying to one of the other Jedi.

The two Jedi ran in, dodging debris as it rained down on them. They were only feet from the entrance to the back docking ports then they stopped at the sound of a loud crack, then a ground shaking thud. The ceiling, basically the floor from the level above them, fell.

Kia stopped, digging deep down. She raised her arms and pushed the Force up, holding the ceiling in place. "Go, Attros, get them out. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold it."

Attros didn't even pause. He sprinted towards the back of the spaceport, knowing he didn't have much time.

Kia took a slow, calming breath, allowing the Force to flow through her in the most condensed, pure form she could manage. She carefully lowered herself to a kneel, concentrating hard. The ceiling wasn't complete, only containing the floor above her and not the main ceiling above, allowing her to confidently hold the room secure.

A few minutes later, Attros emerged, carrying an older child, who seemed to have a severely broken leg. He was followed by a young woman, who was carrying a young child and had two others cowering close to her legs. They paused by Kia.

"Come on Kia, let's get out of here." Attros said.

"Go, Attros, get them out. I'll be right behind you."

Attros didn't feel good about it, but he nodded, running out with the survivors. The mother was almost in hysterics and Attros had his hands full getting them to follow him out. Once they got outside the main entrance, Attros handed the child to a medic outside, then turned to ensure Kia made it out.

Before he could even enter, there was a loud crash and the ground shook slightly, as the main ceiling collapsed onto the second floor being held up by Kia. With a cloud of dust, the entrance was blocked as the spaceport caved in completely.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	43. Chapter 43

More story up. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Malcom paced back and forth as he watched the attack from the war room. When he arrived, the main leaders of the Republic were already present: Chancellor Madon, Director Trant, General Thason, General Lussic and Grandmaster Shan. General Lussic had a small cut over his forehead. He had been in the spaceport when the attack began.

"Our ships are putting up a defense. It's odd, though. They're being completely ignored by the Eternal Empire ships. We've managed to destroy two of them so far without any resistance. It's almost like they don't care about anything else but bombarding the city. I've told my men to start a full out offensive on the ships. Maybe we can take a few of them out of the sky." Thason reported.

Master Satele had been meditating quietly. She opened her eyes, looking at Thason. "I believe that is because those ships are running without a living commander."

Malcom looked at her. "We already knew those ships were fully automated."

Satele nodded. "Yes, but I sense something different. I think these ships are running without any kind of orders at all. It's as if Vaylin lost control of them and they are acting on their own directive. "

"If that's the case, how do we shut the damn things down?" Malcom asked. "By the time we manage to take them all out manually, there won't be a city lift to protect. The tower shields will only last a few more minutes. Once the tower is down, I doubt the ships will just go home."

Before anyone could answer, the constant sounds of orbital bombardment stopped. The ground stopped shaking and there was an eerie quiet among the inhabitants of the war room.

"What just happened?" Trant asked.

"They stopped." Malcom answered, looking at a readout from one of the control panels. "The better question is, why would they stop?"

"Weapons malfunction, maybe." Chancellor Madon said.

"On every ship, all at once?" Malcom replied. "According to these readings every ship stopped firing, not just the ones over this building. They're not even firing at our ships. It's almost like someone has taken control of them."

Satele's holo began to beep. When she answered it, there was a very distraught marialan on the other end. "We need help, master."

"What's happening, Attros?"

"It looks like the ships stopped their attack, but the spaceport ceiling collapsed. We got everyone out, but Master Wryn was inside, holding the ceiling up so I could get the last of the civilians out. She was still inside when it collapsed completely. I can still sense her, but she's injured and fading fast. We need help digging her out before it's too late."

"I'll send more Jedi your way. Focus on her, Attros, help her through the Force as best you can."

He hid it well, but Jace's heart stopped.

* * *

It had been several hours since the Eternal Empire ships stopped firing and everyone in the war room waited and watched the skies as the ships just hovered about them, seemingly paused. Everyone was waiting for them to come alive again, to finish the job they had started.

Master Satele had left when the call came in about Master Wryn and Jace desperately wanted to go with her. It was killing him not knowing if Kia was even still alive, but he had to be the supreme commander first. It had only been a few hours, but the peaceful morning he had been enjoying seemed like a distant dream, dissolving away into a nightmare.

He had been standing, staring at the monitors unmoving for a long time. Director Trant came up to him, standing by his side.

"Are you alright, Commander?"

"No, I'm not." He said quietly, his voice strained. "And I won't be until those damned ships leave our space." Or until I know if Kia's alright, he added in his head. If Kia was dead… No, he wouldn't go there. Not yet. Not until he knew.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	44. Chapter 44

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading my ramblings.

* * *

Jace walked into the medcenter calmly, though his heart was racing. The attack was over, the Eternal Empire ships having left with no communication. They didn't know anything for sure about the reasons behind their attack and, honestly, Jace didn't care. Not at the moment.

A combination of Jedi and soldiers had pulled Kia out of the ruined spaceport, but she was in bad shape. The words "barely alive" were used when describing her condition and they had been spoken by Elara Dorne, who was now under Malcom's command and happened to be near the spaceport during the attack. Captain Dorne was not one to exaggerate.

Jace was met at the door by the head doctor on Coruscant, a human man in his sixties named Dr. Hosha. He was a lanky man, with short grey hair and bushy eyebrows. He usually had a warm smile displayed when people came into the medcenter, but not this time. He gave the commander a tired look.

"How are you holding up doc?" Jace asked. The medcenter was full, but it looked like most of the injuries were minor.

"It could have been much, much worse, Commander. Most of the injuries were minor bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes. There were a few broken bones, but that was the worst of it...well, except Master Wryn." The doctor said sadly.

"How is she?" Jace asked.

"Lucky to be alive, though I'm not sure how long we'll be able to keep her that way." The doctor turned and led Jace into the Kolto tank room near the back of the facility. Kia was submerged within one. "She was impaled by six different durasteel rods, three of which went all the way through and out her back. If it weren't for the Jedi helping to keep her heart beating, she would have been dead long before she got to me. As it is…" he motioned to the corner, where Master Gnost-Dural was kneeling, deep in meditation, a faint glow surrounding him. "...the only thing keeping her alive right now is the life support he's supplying through the Force. Don't get me wrong, her body is healing in the tank, but if Master Gnost-Dural were to stop what he's doing, she'd die."

Jace looked helplessly at Kia's suspended form. He could see each place where a durasteel construction rod had impaled her body. One of the locations was damn close to her heart. "How long can she survive like this?"

"I have no idea. This is uncharted territory for me. As long as her body doesn't shut down completely, the Jedi should be able to keep her heart going. If things start to stop functioning, I doubt there will be anything they could do to save her. For now, it's just a waiting game to see if she can stay alive long enough for her body to heal. All things considered, she's actually fairly lucky. The rods went in clean, hitting none of her major organs and only breaking a few of her bones and causing minor internal bleeding."

Jace gave him a look like the doctor had grown a second head. He didn't exactly see how anything about this situation could be considered lucky.

"She's part zabrak. The human heart is located in the middle/left of the chest." The doctor placed his hand over his heart, then slid it to the right. "A zabrak heart is located in the middle/right. Apparently, her internal anatomy is more zabrak than her outer anatomy implies. Most of her organs are slightly off from a normal human configuration. Her heart was missed only because of this fact. If she were one hundred percent human, one of the rods would have punctured her heart and she would have died instantly. No amount of Force power would have kept her alive. They would have pulled a dead body out of that rubble."

"Let's hope her luck doesn't run out anytime soon." Jace said, taking a step closer to the tank. "How long will she be in there, assuming her heart doesn't give out."

"A few days, a week at most. We should know in about 24 hours if she'll survive."

Jace nodded. "She's a survivor. She'll pull through this."

"I hope so, Commander. She's a good kid." He turned towards the main room. "I have some other patients to check in on. You can stay as long as you like."

"Thanks, Doc." Jace pulled out a chair from the table near Kia's tank, turned it around and took a seat. Secrets be damned, he wasn't leaving until he saw her eyes open.

* * *

It had been a week since the attack on Coruscant and repair efforts were well underway. Satele was relieved to hear there had been no fatalities during the attack, as long as Master Wryn pulled through. It was touch and go in the beginning, but she had finally improved enough that constant Jedi life support assistance was no longer needed. She had stabilized and was being removed from her kolto tank, which was good news.

Kia had always displayed bravery and a willingness to sacrifice for others, but this time, she was lucky to be alive. She made the Jedi order proud.

Satele entered the medical center to find Commander Malcom seated next to Kia's bed. She had only been over to see their fallen order member a handful of times over the past week, when taking her turn to meditate at her side, but each time, Jace had been there. He barely left her side, even when she was in the tank. It pretty much confirmed Satele's suspicions.

She had suspected something between Malcom and Wryn the day she returned to Coruscant. It wasn't anything obvious, just subtle feelings through the Force. If Satele hadn't been intimately familiar with Jace's place within the Force, she wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary about their relationship.

"You care a great deal about her." Satele said, standing next to Jace.

"She's one of the most important things in my life." he replied, his gaze not leaving Kia's direction. "And I don't give a damn who knows anymore." He gently took her hand in his. "But you already knew that, didn't you." This time he did look up at Satele.

Satele nodded. "I've had my suspicions, but I've had far more pressing concerns than a single Jedi breaking the Jedi code. Things aren't as black and white anymore."

They were both silent for several minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable.

"I thought you'd like to know, the Sith Emperor is dead."

Jace scoffed. "I've heard that one before. He has a reputation for not staying dead."

"I know. We all have, but this time is different. This time, it's his spirit that was defeated. When it was eradicated, a wave was sent through the Force. I think he'll be gone for good this time. No more taking a new body or living as an incorporeal being."

"I hope so. Any news on why the Eternal Fleet attacked us?" Jace asked.

"Actually, yes. My information suggests that Vaylin was killed and the android captains of the Eternal Fleet ships shifted to their default setting, which was apparently to exterminate organic lifeforms. Once the Eternal Throne was retaken, the ships were given new orders and stopped their attack." She pulled a holo out of her robe. "Watch this."

The holo was a broadcast sent around the galaxy from the Alliance commander. The one formerly known as the Outlander. Malcom's jaw dropped.

"Well, son of a hutt. That's Major Wryn, alive and well. She defeated Vaylin?"

"That and the Sith Emperor. She now controls the Eternal Fleet."

Jace took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That makes me feel better. She'd never attack Coruscant, not with Kia here." He looked down at her. "She'll be thrilled to know Mia's alive, once she wakes up."

"Do the doctors know when she'll wake up?' Satele asked.

"They're keeping her unconscious until they're sure her wounds are healed enough not to reopen. Unfortunately, she'll have a new set of scars to go along with the one on her arm."

"Scars are just evidence of a life well lived, as you well know." Satele said, placing a soft hand on Malcom's shoulder. "You should get some rest. It won't do her any good if you pass out at her bedside from exhaustion or nutritional fatigue."

He turned to look at her and she smiled warmly. A part of her still loved Jace, probably always would, but she had made her choice long ago and didn't regret it. "And don't worry about the council's response to your relationship. We'll want to talk to Kia about it at some point, but there's no hurry. Her health is far more important."

Jace smiled back at Satele. "Thank you, Satele."

She nodded, then turned and left the medcenter. Even though the situation was complicated, it was still nice to see Jace happy. Satele had not been strong enough to follow the lightside of the Force and be with Jace. Maybe, just maybe, Kia would be.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	45. Chapter 45

New Chapter up. As always, thanks to everyone reading.

* * *

The first thing Kia thought when she woke up was how much she hurt. The pain wasn't sharp, it was more of a deep ache running through her body. She calmed herself with the Force, willed her body to relax and her mind to clear. She opened her eyes and sitting next to her was Jace. He had a relieved smile on his face.

"About time you decided to open your eyes." he said jokingly. "They took you off the sedative two days ago."

"Where am I?" She said, softly. Her voice was weak and almost inaudible.

"In the main medcenter on Coruscant. You've been out a long time." Jace replied. Dr. Hosha was standing over her, running a scan.

"Your scans look good. Take your time and try not to move too quickly." Hosha said. "I'll be back later to check in on you." With a smile, he left the room.

"What happened?" She asked Jace.

"We were under attack by the Eternal Empire. You had gone to help evacuate the spaceport."

"The ceiling fell." She recalled. "I was holding it up, so Attros could escape with the last group of civilians. I tried to follow, but the weight I was holding up more than doubled unexpectedly and I was unprepared. I tried to call upon the Force to shield myself, but I didn't have time. That's the last thing I remember."

Jace took her hand and squeezed it. "You were impaled by six durasteel rods when the ceiling collapsed on you, one only missed your heart by centimeters. You spent a week in a kolto tank fighting for your life. The Jedi masters of the council took turns helping to keep your heart beating. Once out of the tank, the doctors kept you unconscious another week, just to make sure you didn't hurt yourself by moving. They just gave you some muscle stimulants and resuscitation drugs to help bring you around. Master Gnost-Dural has been here almost everyday doing healing meditations."

"So, this is what a pincushion feels like?" She joked, giving Jace a weak smile.

"Apparently. Pretty soon, you're gonna have as many scars as I have."

Kia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It hurt to breathe deeply, but it was bearable. "I'll be in good company then. Did everyone get out of the spaceport okay?"

Jace nodded. "Yes. There were no fatalities during the attack. Your injury was the closest we came." Jace paused and leaned in closer. "You came very damn close to dying on me."

"Sorry." Kia replied, squeezing Jace's hand as hard as she could.

"I forgive you. This time." Jace debated with himself for a few moments. "I wasn't sure whether to wait until you left the medcenter to show you this, but I think you could use some good news." He pulled out his holo and showed her Mia's speech to the galaxy. "She took out both Vaylin and the Sith Emperor. She controls the Eternal Fleet now."

Kia smiled. "She's alive. I told you she was still alive."

Jace nodded. "You did and I will never doubt you again."

Kia felt a sudden wave of exhaustion and nausea, closing her eyes and pushing the feeling back as best she could.

"You get some rest. It'll take time for you to recover completely. Just know, there is nothing you need to do and nowhere you need to be. You can rest easy."

Kia nodded slowly. "I don't think I have much choice in the matter. Just do me one favor?"

"Anything."

"Go get some rest yourself. I'm the injured one, but you look like hell."

Jace laughed out loud. He leaned in and kissed her gently. They were alone in the room, but he didn't care enough to check before he kissed her. Let the world find out, he no longer cared.

* * *

Kia groaned as she sat up in bed, allowing Jace to prop a pillow behind her back. She'd only been out of the medcenter for two weeks and was still in quite a bit of pain. Realistically, she should've stayed in the medcenter for a few more weeks, but she was being stubborn. She wanted to go home and Jace was able to make it happen, even though her doctor wasn't overly pleased.

Jace had been staying at her apartment, only going home to change clothes. After three days of it, he just packed a bag. He already kept the basics at her apartment, but more often than not, she'd stay at his place, so he had to do some adjusting. He had come too close to losing her. He wasn't going to leave her side now and would do what he had to.

"That any better?" He asked.

Kia nodded. "A little. The pain is getting better, just not very fast."

Jace sat next to her on the edge of the bed. "They can give you something for the pain. You don't need to just endure it."

"No. I don't like my head being clouded by drugs. It's hard for me to focus when I'm taking them. I can dampen the pain through the Force."

Jace wanted to argue that the Force couldn't solve everything, but he kept his comments to himself. He crossed the room and started getting dressed for the day. He had a fairly full plate, so he was going to be leaving Kia alone for most of the day.

Kia chuckled. "I can feel your worry. I'll be fine, Jace. I may be an injured Jedi, but I'm still a Jedi. I think I can somehow survive an entire day without you here to wait on me."

Jace laughed and his mood lightened slightly, but Kia could tell he was still concerned. He stopped buttoning his shirt and sat next to her, taking her hands. She could tell he wanted to say something, but he was having a hard time finding the words.

"I'm just...I don't know…" He growled. "...I'm terrible at this stuff." He looked up at her. "Seeing you in that tank, knowing the only thing keeping you alive was the Force." He looked down at their interlocked hands, taking a shaky breath. "You almost died, Ki. The doctor was actually surprised you lived through the first few days. All I could do was sit in the damned medcenter, watching you die."

Jace was scared. Kia could feel it distinctly now. He had been hiding it from her since she woke up, but now he was laying it out there for her to feel. She had never felt such fear from him before, not even during dangerous situations where he could possibly have been killed or during the times when she had been injured during missions in the past. This was different, raw.

"I didn't die and I'm not going to die. It's alright to be afraid around me, Jace. I love you, more than I thought it was possible to love another person, and you don't need to hide these feelings from me. I'm not going to tell the rest of the planet their supreme commander has gone soft for caring. This is me, just me. You're the strongest person I know and your strength brings me strength. It's alright for you to be scared once in a while."

Jace looked up and saw Kia was crying. Not hard, just a few tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

Kia smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "I'm crying for both of us."

He pulled her to him, holding her as tight as he could without causing her pain. Kia let a few more tears fall, careful to have them not land on his shirt.

She sniffed and pulled away. "Now, finish getting dressed and go be the supreme commander. I'll just stay here and do my best impression of a rock."

Jace laughed, but stood, buttoning his shirt. "If you need anything, and I do mean anything, just holo and I'll be here." Standing before her was once again the strong and confident Supreme Commander Jace Malcom, all fear pushed back.

Kia waved the comment off. "I'll be fine, worrywart. Go be important."

He gave her one last kiss on the forehead, before heading out. Once he was gone, Kia let out a long, slow sigh. She had wanted to bring up an idea she had, but decided to wait until later. Jace was still being protective and what she wanted to do would only worry him more. Her idea could wait.

* * *

To Be Continued...


End file.
